The Transient Sage
by FalseLies
Summary: Landing into the world of Runeterra at the start of the Ionian Invasion. How will Naruto fair when his own home has already been lost?
1. Starcall

**Starcall**

* _**No, I don't own Naruto or LoL... Yes! This is a disclaimer.**_

* * *

Soraka sighed as she gazed upon the eternal twilight of her realm. She had been contemplating the rumors she had heard while she made her periodic to Ionia's capital city. Apparently, since the forced cease-fire between Demacia and Noxus, the latter had decided to turn its sights on the island nation. There was nothing concrete yet, but the elders didn't seem to be taking any chances.

It seemed that while the Institute of War had forbade the two strongest nations from continuing their ceaseless war's against another. They didn't seem to care about the smaller nations. The celestial only hoped that the Institute would step in if Noxus did indeed show any hostile intent.

The Starchild surveyed the stars, hoping that she could find guidance among them. While her eye's roamed across the various constellations, something caught her eye. She let a small smile grace her lips as she beheld the shooting star. Even though they were quite common within the Astral Forest. The sight still managed to somehow improve her mood. She momentarily closed her eyes, "_It's as if the stars themselves are trying to comfort me..."_

She tracked the course of the star and became increasingly alarmed with the trajectory that it was following. If it continued on its current path, it could very well hit Ionia.

"_It doesn't look large enough to cause significant damage, but still..."_

As she calculated the impact of the impending celestial body, the healer couldn't help but feel anxious as the star seemed to home in on her location.

_"I know the elders call me the 'Starchild', but I've never called down a star of such size!"_

Debating on her next course of action, the immortal jerked a little as she felt the massive impact of the meteor. _"So close? That was just over the ridge!"_ Even though she was feeling a little uncertain, Soraka started to walk towards the crater.

* * *

After making a short hike to her current location, Soraka peeked around a tree to see if whatever landed was a threat. She gazed at the still hazy clearing where the 'star' now resided. Shocked at the damage that was cause by its descent.

_"Judging by the irregular pattern of mangled trees and shattered rocks... whatever fell here either splintered into various fragments...," _As the smoke cleared, Soraka was starting to see something that looked humanoid in shape. _"... or wasn't a rock at all."_

Cautiously approaching the seemingly downed figure, Soraka gasped as she took in the now identified humans features. He had unkempt light brown hair. _"Or maybe blonde? It's hard to tell with the rubble covering him..."_ His face was slightly angular, but with enough rounded edges near his cheeks to tell her that he was still quite young. Speaking of his cheeks, he had three straight lines on each side, similar to whiskers. _"Some kind of tribal marking?" _she asked herself.

The parts of his body that weren't covered in dirt displayed what seemed to be some type of orange jacket with some sort of netting underneath.

_"Where is this boy from that has such... unique clothing?"_ Soraka pondered. It sure wasn't a style native to Ionia. Filing the thought away for later, Soraka kneeled near the unconscious male and placed her hand on his forehead. She circulated her mana through him in order to examine his physical state. It was unlikely he survived his ordeal, but she was a healer, and would never turn her back on those who needed her aid.

The astral maiden allowed a frown to mar her beautiful features as she mulled over the young man's fate. _"Such a cruel end for one so young..." _As she began to pull her hand away, Soraka was startled by a surprisingly warm grip on her wrist. The blonde's eye's shot open and stared directly into hers. Fiery orange met glowing azure as the boy's body seemed to go ablaze with some type of yellow, almost gold, shroud.

As the man slowly rose before her, Soraka took note of the drastic change in his features. After pulling himself from the dirt, she noted that he had some kind of sandle-like boots for footwear. As her gaze traveled upwards, she observed what looked to be some kind of circle on his navel. The energy that covered him formed into some type of cloak, while the rest of his 'energy-clothes' seemed to conform to a black uniform with tear like patterns along his neck.

Soraka stayed in her kneeled position as the being still held her wrist. Even as he stood looking down at her with his radiant eyes. "_By the stars! How can he possible be human...? I've never felt such dense energy from one?!"_

Her mind raced as the person in front of her peered into her eyes. _"It's almost if he's trying to read me! I don't know if I can stand against such power if he decides to attack..."_

Soraka slowly rose to her feet .After reaching her full height, she noticed she was about a head taller than the individual in front of her. As she carefully studied him, she spoke, "Hello, my name is Soraka. Are you injured?" She smiled after her initial greeting in order to convey a sense of kindness.

_"What the hell did she just say? Did you understand any of that Kurama?" _The young man questioned his partner.

_**"I can't say that I did...and that in itself could be a huge problem..."**_ The now identified Naruto narrowed his eyes at his tenant's remark. _"What do mean by that?"_

_**"Think about it, you've been almost everywhere in the Elemental Nations. If this woman's language isn't recognizable, what does that tell you?" **_Now that they were now on amicable terms, Kurama figured he would have to work on his containers critical thinking skills. _**"Among other things..."**_ Especially if they were in the situation he thought they might be in.

Before he could respond, the woman in front of him said something to him while the look on her faced changed to that of a worried one.

"Do you not understand me?" Soraka let the question leave her mouth, but she felt as though she already knew the answer. The boy still held a confused grimace on his face as he seemed to reach his own conclusion on his current situation.

_"Shit! What did Kaguya do to us?! Where did she send us?" _Letting go of Soraka and finally taking note of his surroundings. Naruto felt the sinking feeling that he wasn't home progressively grow within him.

Glancing up from where he came, he observed that it was likely night wherever he was. However, as he continued to look into the heavens, he noticed that the stars where unusually luminous. The bright balls of light almost made the sky look... otherworldly. Naruto shook his head at his last thought and noted that he was in some kind of forest. The trees also looked to be enchanted to some degree. Nothing like he had seen in the forest of _Hi no Kuni_.

After taking note of his environment, he finally settled his gaze on the woman who found him. She was noticeably taller than him. Her hair was dark but seemed to have a tinge of blue in it, _"Almost like Hinata..." _he mused. Her concerned eyes glowed a brilliant azure as she stared into his own .Shifting his head downwards, he examined her attire. She had a short scarlet cape tied around her neck that flowed just above her waist. Her 'shirt' consisted of an n orange drape of cloth that covered her torso down to her feet. She also had some straps which seemed to hold her navy dress to her hips. He couldn't see her feet as her dress shrouded them. The blue tattoos that adorned her arms also traveled to her chest and apparently her abdomen.

As his eyes lingered on her bust, Naruto gave his assessment to his sole ally._ "Oi, Kurama! I don't feel any evil intent coming from her... I don't think she's gonna attack." _He hoped his judgment of her was right. Otherwise, he really was alone.

_**"Foolish boy, as long as I'm around, you'll never be alone!" **_Kurama growled to his container.

_"Your right Kurama... Thanks." _Inside his mind, he could feel the fox nod its head. _**"Never Forget, I'll always have your back! That being said... we'll have to talk later." **_An alarmed look washed over Naruto's face,_ "What?! Why, did something happen?"_

The mass of chakra responded with an almost amused tone, _**"Yes..."**_

_"Well! Don't hold out on me, lemme have it?"_

_**"Hmm... Impatient brat! Very well..." **_The fox closed its eye's as it readied itself to explain something of seemingly great importance.

While the fox consulted with his container, Soraka watched as the mysterious man took in his surroundings. Phasing through many different emotions while he did first expression was of awe as he took in the stars and the forest she resided him. She allowed herself a moderate smile at this, _"Not many mortals even know of this place, even though it is physically located on Ionia."_

Next, he focused on her. _"He's probably discerning if I'm a threat or not." _Soraka frowned a bit when she saw his gaze linger below her neck a bit longer than she would have liked. Before she could comment on his wondering eyes, a look of unease came across his face. The Starchild narrowed her eyes slightly as she noticed something, _"The way he's running through emotions... It's almost as if he's talking to somebody, but who? We're the only ones here."_ As she focused, she could feel some sort of presence originating from where the glowing circle was on his stomach.

"_Whatever it is, it doesn't feel like mana. The way it coalesces around him, it's too dense. Perhaps he was pulle...!" _Sorakas thoughts were interpreted as the glowing blonde in front of her suddenly collapsed, his 'energy-cloak' dissipating as he hit the ground.

Without the feeling of Kurama's chakra surging through him, Naruto became aware of just how much _agony _he was in. _"I don't remember getting my ass kicked that hard... K-Kurama! Wh-What happened?" _His body felt as though it had just been used as a training post for both Sakura _and _Tsunade.

Even though he couldn't feel the anguish his container was going through, Kurama still tried to sympathize with him. _**"Fool! As I was saying, I used most of our chakra to absorb the brunt of the collision with... wherever we are. That being said, you've still sustained life-threating wounds. We barely survived as it is... hopefully your instincts are right about this woman, Naruto..." **_The Kyuubi paused in his explanation to Naruto as he finally faded to unconsciousness.

"_**Otherwise, even **_**I **_**won't be able to save us this time, boy."**_ The ancient fox closed his eyes as it waited for whatever awaited his container.

* * *

**Author's Note: Apologies for pulling the story like that. I'm still getting used to this sites interface. It kept deleting some of the words when I went to make edits... **


	2. Salvation

**Salvation**

The sound of a sliding door could be heard as Soraka stepped outside her new patients room. As she ambled down the halls of the modest clinic, she suddenly stopped in silent contemplation. The daughter of the stars reflected on just how her current situation came to be.

* * *

Soraka almost sprung backwards as the stranger in front of her suddenly collapsed into a heap of groans at her feet. Reacting quickly, she carefully rolled the boy over and laid his head onto her lap. Looking down at him. Soraka couldn't help but shake her head at the pathetic state he was in. The rags which once acted as his clothes were now only good as articles to keep his modesty in place.

Knowing that he needed more aid then she would be able to provide in her current location. The celestial determined that it would be wise to move him into one of the town' near the Astral Forest. As she planned on the quickest route to reach their destination. Soraka prepared to mend some of her visitor's more serious wound's.

"_I can tell just by the rampant bruising and discoloration that he has widespread bone fractures... probably throughout his body judging by the impact marks of where he landed." _Deciding that the bones could wait, the healer focused most of her talents on his internal organs. Using her **Astral Infusion**, Soraka placed her hands over Naruto's chest as her hands began to radiate a soft albeit bright glow.

Once his breathing became less ragged, she glanced down and used her thumb to wipe the blood off his chin. "Be at peace." She whispered to him. Soraka gave the young man a compassionate smile as his once distraught face calmed into a more serene one as if he had heard her in his senseless state.

The astral mender looked into the distance through the forest. That would be the direction she would take her new ward. Gradually , she somehow got the boy to stay on her back as she started her journey to the nearest town. "If I remember correctly, it should be the town of Hoshimura... an apt name."

* * *

As Soraka ceased her recollections, she continued her gait towards the residence of the local elder. It was likely the aged woman was curious as to why the Starchild herself had decided to visit the small community. As she walked, the people she passed would stop what they were doing and bow to her. Soraka would simply give a slight nod in their direction and continue on towards her destination.

Due to her status, it wasn't uncommon for the people of her homeland to stop and admire her. Soraka was known as one of the most accomplished healers in Ionia. Though it was exceptionally rare to see the Starchild, she was renowned across every province. Due to her status, the capital sometimes sent an emissary to the Astral Forest to receive her wisdom.

"_I wish they wouldn't do that..." _she sighed as she thought about the capital. _"I would be a lot more content if they sent people who actually needed my aid." _Due to the long periods of time she spent in the forest, Soraka was generally out of touch with the current events of Ionia. Why they continually came to ask for her guidance on matters she knew little about, she couldn't fathom. However, she would never deny them any support she could offer.

Soraka cut her thoughts short as she finally reached her destination. Knocking on the sturdy entryway, she let herself in as she knew that her presence was expected. Sliding the door behind her, the healer greeted her hostess as she made her way to the table in the middle of the room.

"Ahh, the Starchild herself graces me with her presence! Tell me my Lady, has your ward's condition improved?"

Soraka regarded the elderly woman for a moment before answering, "Yes Elder Hokuto, he seems to be making a swift recovery." she responded. _"Far to swift for it to be normal... even with my healing." _The boy was still a long way from recovery, but at his current rate, she wouldn't be surprised if he was conscious before the end of the day.

"Please stop me if I'm out of line my Lady, but what do you plan to do with this young man? I've seen the boy and he doesn't seem to be from around these parts. At least, not with that exotic blonde hair he has and..." As the woman continued on her rant about her patients look's, Soraka silently agreed with the point the elder was making.

"_Black and brown are the dominate hair color's on Ionia... not to mention his eyes. I've never seen that shade of orange, and the blue that they changed to are certainly a rarity here as well. He could be from one of the other nations, but which?" _The astral maiden was interrupted from her thoughts when she noticed that her hostess was staring at her.

"Is something wrong Elder?" Hokuto inclined her head towards her guests in apology as she spoke. "Forgive me Lady Soraka if I distracted you from your thoughts but..." Soraka raised her eyebrow wondering what could be giving the elderly woman such an embarrassed look. "W-Well my Lady, it's just that you never answered my question about the boys origin's..."

A look of shame came upon Soraka's face. "No, it is I who must apologize Elder Hokuto. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I forgot about your question!" Recomposing herself, the elder was given her answer, " After he is well enough to travel, I plan to take him to him to the capital city. Hopefully somebody there will be able to help him find his way."

"O-ho! The capital, he must be of some importance if your venturing there!Regardless, I won't steal anymore of your time. If there is anything an old woman can do to aid you, you need only call on me."At this, Soraka stood and returned the elders bow. "Thank you for your hospitality Elder Hokuto. If Hoshimura is ever in need of my aid, please come find me."

Leaving the other woman to her thoughts, the celestial made her way back to the village's clinic.

* * *

"_I... I gotta stop waking up like this. Yo! You up you lazy ass fox?"_

After releasing a great yawn, Kurama responded to his containers outburst. **"**_**Lazy? Are you dead yet?"**_Sluggishly arching his neck forward, Naruto had to bite his lip in order to stop from howling in pain. _"N-Nope... I'm definitely not dead!" _Naruto could almost _feel _Kurama's smug expression. _**"You can thank me later." **_

Deciding to ignore his tenant for the moment, Naruto began to take in his surroundings. The silvery light of the moon shined through the windows, indicating how late it was. Though the inky blackness of the night enveloped most of the room, the bright light of the moon allowed him to take in most of the rooms detail's.

It was a simple room, with polished wood walls. He couldn't tell due to the bed he was laying on, but the floor was likely similar to the walls. As he looked around, he couldn't help but notice the architecture was similar to that of the more proper buildings found back home.

A small measure of hope filled Naruto's heart,_"Maybe we're in another village! Kaguya's portal probably just sent us across the land..." _Unfortunately, Kurama had to crush his partner's meager amount of optimism.

"_**Unlikely... If she did, do you think she wouldn't have tracked you down and finished you off?" **_

"_Do... Do you think shes keeping me around for her own... purposes?" _Naruto shivered at the thought as he recalled the final clash he had with the goddess.

* * *

"**_We're getting our collective assess kicked, boy!"_ **Kurama growled in frustration at Naruto. The other Bijū aired their own agreements about how dire their current situation was.

"_You think I don't know that dumbass? Why don't you try and figure something out?!"_ Before Kurama could make a scathing remark in response to their container, the twin tailed cat, Matatabi made a suggestion.

"_**Enough! Your arguing only makes our current situation more impossible than it already is!"**_

"**_Way to cheer for the home team!"_ **Shukaku sarcastically stated to his sister Bijū.

As his occupants talked among themselves, Naruto couldn't help but agree with the Nibi, if only a little. His current duel with Kaguya was almost completely one-sided. After sending them to whatever empty realm they were currently in, it had been a losing battle. Fortunatly, the rabbit goddess seemed content to just defend herself. Naruto's thought's were cut short as Kaguya finally spoke to him.

"Though your current struggle is futile, I will acknowledge your strength, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Well thanks, nice to know I have a fan!" his snide remark didn't seem to faze the goddess. She merely continued on with her speech. "However, your tenacity will fail you sooner, rather than later. That is why I have a proposition for you."

Naruto merely gave a nasty grin,"This shit again? I'm not gonna give up! As long as there is a chance of victory, I **WILL **continue to fight!"

Surprisingly, Kaguya smiled at his proclamation, "Amazing! Truly fascinating! You see Uzumaki, what impresses me is not you physical prowess, but your spirit!"

Naruto stared at Kaguya and tried to wrap his head around her statement._"Can someone tell me what the _**_FUCK _**_she is rambling on about?!"_

"_**I'm just as confused as you are..." **_

The primordial being merely continued ranting,, " Such perseverance! Even though your resistance is meaningless you continue to pursue your ultimate goal!" Kaguya closed her eyes (not the top one) and seemed to calm down a bit ."That is why, only you are worthy..."

"What exactly are you talking about?!" He didn't know what see was up to, but she was scaring him!

The mother of chakra seemed to ignore his question and proceeded with her monologue. " Uzumaki Naruto... I want you to father my child."

The jinchūriki is question floated there, as if stuck in time.

"_**HEELLLL YEAH! YOU BETTER GO AND HIT THAT SHIT! SHOW HER HOW YOUR ONE 'TAIL' IS GREATER THAN HER TEN!"**_

"**_I... I don't know if I should be shocked or proud."_ **The Kyuubi had been through many situations in his existence. With his natural cunning and intelligence, he rarely encountered a challenge he couldn't 'outfox'. But this... even he was at a loss.

"_**YOU SHOULD BE PROUD! Our container can make even a FUCKING GODDESS cream her panties! That loser Gaara has nothin on you! What are you waiting for? Go over there and make sure the only ending to this war is a sticky one!"**_

Suppressing the shiver going down his spine, Naruto gave Kaguya an incredulous look."Are you SHITTING ME! We fight for Kami knows how long, then you come and say you want me to... to... do THAT to you!" He could hardly believe what she what she was suggesting.

The rabbit goddess merely shook her head, "There is no deceit in my words Naruto. I know you wish for peace, and with my arrangement, you could achieve that. Together, you and I could usher in an unprecedented era of tranquility."

"So, If I agree to this... you'll let everyone go and we can end this war?" Though he didn't know how he felt about... procreating with her, if their was a chance for peace, he would at least consider it.

Frowning at the question, Kaguya swung her head in the negative. "No, this world is too entrenched in it's ways to be capable of salvaging. I shall take back all my chakra! Then after I give birth, we shall start anew. I will not make the same mistakes as last time." After explaining herself to him, Kaguya watched as her selected mate put his head down, his hair covering his eyes.

"_**Look kid, I know your gonna miss your friends an' shit... BUT COME ON! How many guys do you know can walk around and say, "You wanna know how she got her hair color? Well I..."**_

"_**Shut your mouth you degenerate Tanuki! What will your choice be, Naruto" **_

Naruto clenched his fist as he heard the four-tailed ape ask the question.

"_**No matter what, we'll all stand behind you !" **_Though the situation looked hopeless, Chomei tried to provide Naruto with at least a little bit of reassurance . He deserved that much from them.

"_Thanks, but I already know my answer!" _Looking back up, he gazed directly into Kaguya's lavender eyes."No..." Kaguyas eye's widened at his defiant response, she honestly didn't expect him to refuse her. She was offering him a way out, and he just throws it back in her face? Closing her eye's she shook her head and re-met his gaze.

"I suppose I should have expected this to be your answer,.If you wish to die with your allies, then so be it. A quick death is the only thing I have to offer you now Uzumaki, if you relent, I promise you that much." Kaguya was genuinely disappointed in his reply. It had been centuries since she had last laid with a man, and though he was still young, she could tell Uzumaki would likely be a very capable lover.

Taking his stillness as a sign of his surrender, Kaguya prepared to finish their feud once and for all. This was until she saw the man before her disappear in a plume of smoke. "When did he did have time? My _Rinne Sharingan_ should have caught any move he made!" Re-appearing behind the goddess, Naruto made eye contact with her just as she turned around. She mentally cursed as she saw the dense sphere of swirling chakra he had in his hand.

"Why don't you just give up..." As the sphere slowly approached her, Kaguya narrowed her eyes. "...TRYING TO MAKE ME GIVE UP! _**Senpō **__**:Chō Bijū Rasenshuriken !**_**" **Seeing no other possible way of escape, the goddess ripped another dimensional portal and started to slide into it. Unfortunately, she didn't account for the reaction between a heavily condensed orb of chakra and a tear in the fabric of reality. As the _Rasenshuriken_ neared the rift, it began to expand. Noticing the reaction, Kaguya actually began to get worried.

"Fool! Stop this at once Naruto! You'll create a fissure that will swallow this whole realm!" Unfortunately, it didn't seem that he could even control the orb anymore. Dashing out of the now self-sustaining portal, she watched in morbid fascination as the tear gained a purplish hue. It continued to gradually swallow her desired mate with him struggling against the pull on the other end.

"Shit!SHIT! What do I do! Help me guys!"

"_**Nope! You coulda been fuckin a goddess right now! But NOOOO! You had to be the typical heroic **_

_**jackass!"**_

Electing To deal with the _Ichibi_ later, the rest of the _Bijū_ tried to come up with a solution.

"_**Naruto! Stop channeling our chakra! It might be the reason your stuck!"**_

Listening to Gyūki, the blonde cut off their link and returned to normal. It seemed to work, as he was able to pull his hand free the sphere. "Thanks Gy..." Whatever Naruto was going to say was interrupted as he was suddenly consumed by the force of the rifts pull.

Kaguya stood... floated a few meters away and watched as the tear suddenly swallowed the boy. Seconds passed as she watched the portal slowly whittle away to nothing,, the _Jinchūriki_ along with it. Staring at where Naruto was just at, the goddess blinked as if trying to accept that what happened was real.

She sighed in irritation as she concluded that Naruto was likely gone for good. Though she didn't necessarily need the rest of the _Bijū's_ chakra, It would have left her with the peace of mind that ALL chakra really had been returned to her. There was also the problem with the boy himself. Originally she was just going to capture and drain him of most of his chakra, leaving him just enough to live. Using her _Rinne Sharingan_ to charm him would have been the easiest part of her plan. She had meant it when she told him he was the only one who was worthy of her.

Filing that line of thinking away for later, the _Usagi no Megami_ returned back to her original realm in order to finish her plans.

* * *

Stuck in his memories, Naruto didn't notice as Soraka walked in with a lit candle an sat beside him. Setting the candle to the side, the healer observed the blonde as he was lost in his own thoughts. Clearing her throat to catch his attention, she watched as he jumped in fright upon finally taking note of her. She frowned at the groan of pain he released, feeling somewhat guilty for his sudden discomfort.

"**_Relax boy!If not for this woman, you would still be comatose for at least the next three or so days." _**While Naruto had been out, Kurama had been watching this same woman heal her container with skill he'd only seen from the _Godaime Hokage_. **_"I'm almost certain she means us no harm. As you said before, there isn't any malicious intent coming from her. Right now, she is our only ally in this land. For now..." _**

Hearing the fox's tone,Naruto knew that despite his advice, it would be wise to keep his guard up .Glancing at the lady who may have very well saved his life, he relaxed a bit.

Seeing that he calmed down, Soraka decided that now would be the best time to try and open up some type of dialogue between them. "_I should probably try and speak slowly this time, perhaps he might be able to catch on to some of what I'm saying that way." _Looking down at her charge, the Starchild re-introduced herself. Being extra careful to speak in a deliberate manner," Greetings, my name is Soraka. Who might you be?" Gesturing to herself when she spoke her name, she saw his eye's light up in what she hoped was recognition.

"Name... Sho-ra-ka?" Amazingly, Naruto could actually make out some of what she was saying. _**"Hmm... Whatever language she is speaking seems pretty close to what we know." **_Despite being centuries old, Kurama had never heard any over language spoken back in the Elemental Countries. The language was so common, it was never given a real name.

Slightly excited that she was getting somewhere, she continued,"Almost! So-ra-ka, what is your name?" Understanding that she was likely asking for his name with the way she pointed at him, Naruto stared up into his saviors eyes. Thinking about her request, he decided that it would only be proper to give her his name. She was the one taking care of him, after all.

"Soraka?" The woman nodded her head in acknowledgment of his correct pronunciation. "Name my... Uzumaki Naruto." the celestial smiled, happy that she finally got a name. They sat there for awhile in awkward silence. The peace was broken however has Naruto's stomach made itself known. Averting his eyes in embarrassment, he mumbled a quiet apology.

Letting out a small giggle, Soraka arose from her current position and started towards the exit. Before she left, she re-made eye contact with her ward. "I'm sorry, you must be ravenous after your ordeal! I'll be back with some food, excuse me."

Naruto watched the door close and closed his eyes. Re-appearing within in his mind-scape, he began to approach the massive fox. As he did so, he noticed eight other lights that varied in color. They hovered around the 'room' in almost a perfect circle, with Kurama at the top of the formation. Walking up to the ancient fox, he made himself known.

"Oi! Wake up you bastard fox, what happened to the others? " Opening one of his sizable eye's, Kurama looked up to the fluorescent orbs that surrounded his current position. **"Due to the fact that only a portion of their chakra was sealed within you, they could not sustain their forms after we expended most of our chakra just to keep you alive." **Hearing this, Naruto put his head down, clenching his teeth in frustration as he did so. **"Don't go all broody on me, brat. Our current situation is no fault of your own. Had we stayed, you would likely be dead by now."**

"Dead... What about the others! Do you think..." the Kyuubi closed its eye as he answered the frantic jinchūriki. **"I'm sorry Naruto, they are likely all dead. Without you there, the Uchiha boy stands no real chance against Kaguya. She likely achieved whatever it is she set out to do. The only solace I can offer you is that your friends died painless deaths..."**

Though he truly felt remorse for his container, Kurama was only really concerned about said container and his fellow Bijū. Letting the boy have a moment to himself, the fox laid his head back down. However, he wasn't given any chance for a nap.

"Is... Is that it? Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Naruto strode up to Kurama's eye, close enough that he could see his own reflection in the fox's pupil."They died a quick death? WHAT KINDA BULLSHIT IS THAT KURAMA? I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT HOW THEY DIED!THE POINT IS,THEY'RE ALL DEAD." Before he could continue his tirade, The _Bijū_ decided to intervene.

"**And What did you expect to happen Naruto? You knew that going into this war that failure meant death! Did you expect there to be a 'happy ending'? GROW UP!" **He knew that it was a low blow, but Kurama needed Naruto to understand just how life truly worked sometimes. Looking directly at his container, he continued his speech. **"Listen, and listen well boy. Occasionally, evil WILL win... people WILL suffer... and in the end, they all die." **

Though his head was now resting on the ground, Kurama heard Naruto's dry, humorless laugh. "Then what's the point? Is there even a point? Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, Tsunade , Kirābī, Shikamaru..." Naruto was stopped by the tremendous tail that wrapped around him. Bringing the boy before him, the crimson Kitsune addressed his container once more.

"**So that's it, hmm? You'll just sit here, and continue to wallow in an endless well of misery?" **Nodding his head as if agreeing with himself, Kurama continued, **"Very well then Naruto, if that is how you feel... then kill yourself." **Dropping the shocked boy to the ground, the sentient mass of chakra closed it eyes.

"K-Kill myself... why would I do that?" He said that, but deep inside he knew some part of him was seriously considering it. If there was one thing that scared Naruto more than being alone, it was having no purpose. To wake up every day to just to realize that there was nothing... nobody waiting for you. No goals to aspire to, nothing to do...almost like, a tool. Like a rusty kunai that just sat in the darkness, forgotten about. Nobody even acknowledging , or at the very least, caring about your existence. Back when he was a child, Naruto could _force _the villager's to acknowledge him, even if it was only their hatred. But with _everyone _he knew dead, and knowing no one here in this apparently new world, what did he have to live for?

Feeling the hopelessness that permeated Naruto's mind, Kurama could only believe in the boy to pull through this. **_"I'm sorry that you had to learn how harsh reality can be Naruto. But, If anybody can pull themselves together after something as traumatic as this, it would...no! It WILL be you, prove yourself to us through your actions as you always have, Uzumaki Naruto!"_**

* * *

Making her way down the narrow hallways at a conservative pace. Soraka was still in a positive mood from the progress she had made with her patient. Though she had barely gotten his name, She was able to ascertain that whatever dialect he spoke had some similarities to her own. _"By the time we reach the capital, I may be able to have him speaking properly!" _

Keeping firm control of the tray she carried in her hands, Soraka slid the door to Uzumaki's room open. Closing it behind her, she re-took her position by his side and set the tray off to the side. Noticing that the blonde didn't make any kind of movement acknowledging her presence. She checked to see if he had fallen asleep. Careful not to agitate any of his numerous injuries, she rolled him over so that he was now on his back. The Starchild nearly felt her heart stop as she gazed into his eye's.

What were once a set of attentive cobalt, were now twin pools of darkness. She also caught on to the stream of tears that glistened in the light of the melted candle. "_What could of happened while I was gone?! I know that no one except myself has entered this room. Perhaps he was reminded of something unpleasant..." _Sliding closer to the despondent blonde, Soraka had a thoughtful expression on her face as she adjusted his head. Now on her lap, she could feel as his tears gradually soaked into her dress. Brushing his tears away with one of her thumbs, she watched as his eyes came into focus.

As his eye's re-focused, Naruto noticed that Soraka's face was directly above his. The serene smile she wore on her face was almost identical to his mothers. Thinking of his mother reminded him of his homeland, which thus in turn reminded him of his current misfortune.

Soraka was surprised when the boy suddenly buried his head deeper into her lap and started sobbing. His form shaking almost uncontrollably. The sound of his grieving carried throughout the room. Maintaining her efforts to try and alleviate his pain, she whispered to him," I know not where you come, or what adversity you've faced. However, know that I will never leave your side for as long as you need me..." Knowing that he couldn't completely understand her, Soraka felt relieved when his sobbing turned into barely audible whimpers.

As she looked up to where the windows were, the healer took in the moonlight that ambled into the room. Noticing that her soothing had worked, Soraka prepared to let the boy sleep before the he unexpectedly latched on to her . Gazing down upon him, the Starchild couldn't help but murmur to herself," Uzumaki... Just who are you?"

* * *

Strolling outside the hospice that they were still residing in, Soraka found her charge as she had generally found him the past week. He was sitting in a meditative posture, his unseeing gaze directed towards the fading sun. The boy continued to prove her initial theory that he was not normal. Though his mood seemed to be stuck in a perpetual state of gloom, his body had recovered at a rate most would consider inhuman. After the first two days, he was able to get around without any assistance. The few days following, she found him doing some simple stretches. And now, it had been a whole week since they had arrived in Hoshimura. If she hadn't witnessed it herself, the celestial being would have never guessed that the boy in front of her had collided with the earth at speeds that would have turned others into paste.

As was usual when she found him in this position, Soraka sat a couple of paces away from him. The blonde would engage her when he was ready. Studying his face, the healer was still left in the dark about the strange pigmentation that surrounded his eyes. When she inquired about it, he had merely mumbled something about being a sage. If it weren't for his freakish regeneration and the immense amount of energy should feel within him, she would have dismissed his claim.

As if on cue, the young man beside her opened his eye's and stared into her own. It never took him more than a minute to respond to her presence. Unfortunately, he ignored everyone else that approached him. "How are you, Naruto?" It had taken her three days to figure out that she had been addressing him by his last name the whole time. "I'm fine, Soraka-chan" His paltry smile wasn't convincing anyone though. "So... when are we heading to this capital you mentioned?"

That was another thing that improved drastically in the last week. Soraka found that if she spoke slowly, then he was able to pick up on most of what she was saying. Progress was sluggish, but he was gradually filling in the differences between their curiously similar languages. "_In another month, he should be able to converse at a natural pace." _

"We are in no rush, we can begin our journey there whenever you are ready Naruto." She didn't want the boy to feel as if it were an emergency. " I don't want to hold you up. We can go whenever you want." Soraka held in a sigh at his reply. It seemed like whatever he did was in an attempt to please her. Since waking up after that first night, he had seemingly 'latched' on to her. To her it seemed as if he was afraid of disappointing her in any way. Sensing the slight shift in her mood, "Is something wrong?! If you want to leave later, I don't mind!"

Shaking her head, the Starchild merely gave him a reassuring smile. "Nothing is wrong, we shall set out early in the morning. How does that sound?" Knowing he would agree, she grasped his hands and give them a slight squeeze. "I'm going to go bathe. There is a meal waiting for you inside. We will talk more when I return, alright?" Seeing his head incline in agreement, she started towards the exit.

Watching her leave, his eye's couldn't help but stay glued to her shapely backside. His face flushed as he remembered the incident from two nights ago.

* * *

After a long day of intense brooding, Naruto decided that it was time to freshen up. After all, just cause he felt like death, didn't mean he had to smell like it. Casually walking into the bath that the locals had seemingly made private just for Soraka, he prepared himself for a particularly long soak. Stripping down to just a towel, the morose jinchūriki made his way towards the baths. As he trudged towards his destination, Naruto couldn't help but remind himself at all the similarities that his home and this island shared.

"_**An astute observation, there are indeed many identical qualities that both places share." **_The usually quiet Kokuō made himself known.

Agreeing with it's five tailed brethren, Chōmei also commented,_** " Kokuō is right! This place seems to be almost like the villages from back home. Perhaps it wont be bad as you think, so cheer up!"**_

Allowing an almost non-existent smirk to grace his face Naruto thanked the _Nanabi_ for its unwavering optimism. It came as a huge relief to him when the other _Bijū_ had awoken on the second night. He hadn't really conversed with Kurama since the talk they had.

Recalling his previous thought, he really couldn't believe just how similar Ionia was to his place of origin. They shared the same architectural designs for the most part. Their military also seemed to be pretty similar, if the men he'd seen around strolling around town were any indication. Soraka had also informed him of a group of 'shadow warriors' know as the _Kinkou Order_.

"_The way Soraka-chan described them, they sound like ninja." _Naruto snorted at the thought of there being actual_ shinobi _in this realm. Glancing up at the wooden boards that constituted the ceiling, the blonde thought about how the Ionian's were also pretty different.

"_From what Soraka-chan said, every region around the island has its own 'elder' that acts as the leader of that area. They also come together to discuss what's best for the people a few times a year. They sound like how the Kage __**should **__have been..."_

"_**Pffttt... they sound like a bunch of pussies to me! We should go to that 'Convergence of Elders' that babe was telling you about and fuck em' up! Teach em' whose the top Tanuki!"**_

Rolling its eye's at Shukaku's remark, the _Hachibi_ added is own thoughts, " _**Hmm... Dedicating your whole life to perfection in both the physical and spiritual aspects of life seems like a worthy goal."**_

"_**I concur, living a life of perpetual harmony would be a welcomed change from the constant bloodshed that plagued our old home."**_

"_Was it... Was it really so bad, Kokuō?"_

Before the beast could reply, Naruto found himself at the door to the washroom. Sliding the door to its open position, his body froze despite the excessive humidity.

Standing before him with her back turned. Soraka was bending over to retrieve a bucket of steaming water. His eyes immediately exploring the plump behind of his self-appointed caretaker. His eyes zeroed in on a lone bead of sweat that traveled from her back. It lazily made its was down her amazingly round ass. It felt as though the drop of moisture was teasing him. As if delighting in his suspense, the lone drop stopped before completely disappearing into the rose colored lips of her womanhood.

"_**WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! YOU BETTER NOT FUCK THIS UP!"**_

With blood rushing towards both his heads, time seemed to slow down for the hormonal teen.

"_Wha-What should I do?"_

"_**FUCK HER RIGHT IN THE PUSSY!"**_

"_But..."_

"_**PUT HER ON A ONE WAY TRIP TO POUND TOWN!"**_

"_I..."_

"_**GIVE... HER... THE... D!"**_

Finally detecting his presence, Soraka stood to her full height and turned to face him. However, all she saw was his back. "Oh? I'm Sorry Naruto, I didn't hear you come in. Would you like to bathe with me? There is enough room in here for two."

"_**GIVE HER THE D! SHE'S PRACTICALLY BEGGING FOR IT!"**_

"N-No thanks Soraka-chan! I'll just wait till your finished, sorry!" Trying to hide his throbbing erection from her, Naruto hastily made his way back down the hall with a stiff chuckle. "I'll just wait down here..."

Staring at the now slammed door, Soraka adorned a curious expression, _"Is he alright? Perhaps public baths are not accepted where he's from?" _Shrugging her shoulders, the celestial continued her cleansing.

* * *

"**_Your 0-2 right now! If you continue like this, you'll be worse than Gaara!"_**

Naruto paused in his thought's, "_What are you talking about?"_

"**_WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT! You've missed out... not once... but twice on punching your V card! Now, I'll let you slide on the first one. You shouldn't stick your dick in crazy unless you have a guaranteed escape! But the second chick was practically asking for your baby gravy!" _**The monstrous raccoon-dog just couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with his container.

"_You think I'm a virgin?" _The blonde rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"_**Well... duh. With your ugly ass jumpsuit and annoying attitude, who would want to bounce on your meat pole?"**_

Gritting in teeth in indignation, Naruto calmed himself as he prepared to shut the Ichibi down. "_Well jackass I'll have you know that I've done it 3 times already!"_

Within the mind-scape, Shukaku crossed his arms in disbelief. **"**_**No way! Your a lying sack a shit!"**_

"_**Actually, what the boy says is true. I know that's he mated with a few woman before... as surprising as that may be."**_

"_**Tch... Like I'd believe you gayrama! I want names!"**_

At this Naruto merely shrugged his shoulders. "_I guess... There was Shion, Amaru, Shizuka..."_

"_**Hmm... As expected of MY container. Your not as hopeless as I thought, with a little more work..." **_Shukaku started muttering to itself. Something about plans to turn his container into a player.

Ignoring the sand constructs rambling..Naruto sat himself before the table of food that Soraka had left for him.

Thinking about the woman in question, he felt his cheeks grow hot. The young shinobi didn't know if there was such thing as a perfect woman. But so far, she was proving her self to be just that. Her gentle,calm demeanor was almost saint like. She carried an air of compassion around her and wouldn't hesitate to sooth someone should they need it. She was also really smart, educating him on how the government and people of Ionia operated.

His mind went into a haze as he thought about her voluptuous body. He could confirm that the tattoos that ran along her arms went _a lot further_ than he initially thought. All in all, Naruto figured that his guardian was what most guys wanted in a woman.

A feminine laugh pulled him from his thoughts. "_**Sounds like you really have the hots for your sexy nurse... "**_

Blushing at the description Matatabi gave, Naruto responded to her teasing, _"Well... she DID save my life. As long as I can stay by her side, that's enough for me..." _As long as he had someone here that acknowledged him, he would be able to manage.

Glancing down at the now empty plate of food before him. The blonde didn't even try to fight it as darkness consumed his vision.

* * *

Gasping as he woke up, Naruto immediately noticed a weight on his chest. His eye's finally adjusting to the dark, He could make out Soraka's naked form straddling him. Before he could speak, she placed a delicate finger over his lips.

"_Shhh..." _She whispered as her face hovered over his. Her voice echoing across the room. "_Where am I needed?"_ As if answering her question, Naruto could feel his arousal poking into her firm butt. Giving him a sensual grin, she turned her body so that her moist lips were now inches away from his face. He couldn't see what she was doing, but could feel as she released his now painful erection from the confines of his pants.

Giving the pulsating member a few strokes, she spoke before wrapping her lips around his cock. _"This... is my path." _

On the other end, Naruto groaned as he felt the Starchild push him deeper into her mouth. What she couldn't take, she caressed with her graceful hands. While she continued her ministrations, he stared up at the dripping cavern before his face. Licking his lips, he figured it would be rude if he didn't return the favor. Brushing over her outer lips with his tongue, he could hear and _feel _as his partner hummed in gratitude.

As they continued, Naruto noticed that the usually boisterous Tanuki was being oddly silent. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Naruto stuck his tongue deeper into Soraka's now soaked entrance. Hearing her whine as he picked up the pace, he decided to finish her off. Remembering the advice his late sensei had given him, Naruto pulled his tongue out of her drenched core and liked her juices off his lips. Seeing the round nub of highly sensitive flesh, his tongue stretched towards it.

Before he could re-engage, he grunted as his partner seemed to picking up the pace. As if she sensed that he was watching her, Soraka looked over her shoulder at him. Giving the blonde an alluring smile. "_Never waste a breath!"_Before he could even responded, Soraka proceeded to take almost his entire length down her throat.

"_How the hell is she doing that... O-oh!" _While she worked on the last couple of inches, one of her hands started to massage his sack.

"O-Oh Kami! S-Soraka-chan I... I'm...!" Whatever he was going to say died in his throat as he finally came. He could fell the celestial trying swallow all that he had to offer, but pulled back after a couple of gulps. Letting the rest land on face, she simply continued to stroke him and lap up any excess that shot out.

As his vision finally cleared, he saw his temporary lover sit back on her knee's. Turning to face him, he could see the overflow of his climax drip onto her breasts. Sensually licking some off her finger's, she re-adjusted her position so that his member was pressed into the crevice of her ass.

Reaching behind her, she lifted her hips and grabbed his hard-on. Feeling his heart starting to beat faster, he heard Soraka release a lewd moan as she impaled herself on him. Rotating her hips several times, Naruto bit his lip at her tightness.

"_Gracefully..."_

Leaning down towards her lovers face, she captured his lips in a searing kiss. He eyes widened as he felt her tongue invade his mouth. Giggling as she saw the surprised look on his face, she brought her rose colored nipple to his mouth. Obeying her silent command, he started to nibble on it. Letting out a content sigh, Soraka looked back and started to raise her hips.

Grunting as he felt her slam down on him, Naruto continued his suckling. He was startled when his partner let out a particularly loud moan. It was after that when he began to taste something. Pulling her breast from his mouth, he rolled his tongue around his mouth to test flavor. Not satisfied, he latched back on to her abused nipple and continued his suction. Feeling the syrupy substance fill his mouth again, the blonde redoubled his suckling efforts.

"_Soraka-chan has milk? I don't know why but that's really hot! But why does it taste like bananas?"_

Fueled by the new sensation, the celestial picked up the pace of her r. Making sure to increase her already vice-like grip on Naruto's member. Feeling her clamp down on him, Naruto felt himself about to blow his load.

"_A-Already! I can't pull out with her on top like this!"_

For the second time that night, the jinchūriki suffered a temporary bout of blindness. He could feel Soraka practically milking him as his seed continued to fill her eager womb. Waiting for him to stop shooting his load, the healer finally let go of his head. Giving him one last kiss, she sat back on her knees. Looking down at where they were still connected , she gave her lover a disappointed look.

"_Do you always fight so poorly?"_

Hearing her comment, Naruto tried to figure out what had went wrong. _"How did she make me cum so fast?! Its always been the other way around... Her pussy was super tight though, maybe its some kind of healing move?" _

As he thought about his caretakers sexual prowess, he didn't see her begin to concentrate. Seeing a glowing light, he felt his mouth drop. Soraka seemed to be channeling her power... through her vagina.

Almost instantly, he felt his 'weapon' stand at attention.

"_I woulda been good to go again anyways... but that works too, I guess."_

Satisfied with her work, Soraka began to take a new position. This time sitting so she was on her feet instead of her knees. Rubbing the head of his cock against her swelling lips, she once again lowered herself on him. Naruto looked up into her eyes as she slowly licked her lips.

"_By the power of the stars!"_

Placing her hands on his chest for stability, the celestial started to bounce her ass at a rapid pace. The sounds of slapping flesh filled the room as Soraka had her way with her young lover. Feeling the heat of his semen filling her again. The Starchild shuddered at the warmth but kept up her frantic pace. After a considerable amount of time, she finally looked to be approaching her own end. Below her, Naruto broke out of his trance as he noticed that she started to glow.

As her orgasm built up, Soraka's tattoos started to radiate a pale blue light. Naruto has to grab her hips as her bouncing had actually started to _hurt. _As he tried to slow her down, the woman breathing began to take on a raspy quality. Finally, the room was bathed in light as the Starchild achieved her goal.

"_**Star's Hear Me!"**_

Collapsing on her lover, she seemed to fall unconscious. The blonde wasn't faring any better. It was times like this he was thankful to his parents for stuffing Kurama I him.

"_That was amazing... but you almost broke me Soraka-chan!"_

Deciding that it best to go back to sleep, the teen let his eyelids close. Before they completely fell however, he felt Soraka lift herself off his chest. Paying attention to her movements, he saw as she began to raise her hips. Laying back and staring at the ceiling, he sighed as he felt her velvety walls release him. With an audible _pop_, he felt his member land against his stomach. Arching his head forward, he wanted to see the damage.

Looking down at himself, Naruto froze as he took in the sight of his penis. He expected it to be red, maybe a little bit raw. But what he saw in front of him made his world stop.

"_Is that..."_

Before he could finish, he heard Soraka giggle. Looking up, he saw her amused expression as if there was some joke he wasn't aware of.

"Yes! That was a banana!" Another round of giggles left her. "Nobody expects the banana!".


	3. Equinox

**Equinox**

"Wow! Are we really gonna cross that?" Soraka looked at the extensive mountain range that encompassed most of their view. "Yes, after we cross Navori, we'll only be a couple of days from the capital." At the mention of the Ionian seat of government, Naruto grimaced. "Hey Soraka-chan..." The celestial turned to him. "What exactly will happen once we get there anyways? Do you think the elders can find a way to send me home?"

Mulling over her answer, she decided it would best to be sincere. "To be honest, I am reluctant to believe that even the elders will be able to help you..." Seeing the crestfallen look form on his face, she continued. "But that doesn't mean we cant try. Listen, the last thing I want to see is you hurt. While I do want you to remain hopeful, please steel your heart for whatever response the elders give you."

For the last couple of weeks they had been traveling across Ionia. Her charge had gradually began to offer small tidbits about himself and where he came from. A place he called the Elemental Countries. From what she had gathered thus far, he had been involved in a war that spanned the entire continent. The sorrow he carried in his voice when he spoke about it made her believe that he had lost.

Besides the war, he did make comments about how his homeland compared to Ionia. She was stunned to learn that it common for children as young as ten were forced to fight. He had quickly assured her that didn't happen so much anymore, but she still had her doubts. He had also explained the way his worlds 'Hidden Villages' worked. To her it sounded like the feud between Demacia and Noxus, but on a global scale.

The only thing that really bothered her was how he seemed to skirt away from his personal life or anything having to do with it. It was obvious to her from the beginning that the boy in front of her must of suffered extraordinary loses to avoid the subject with such eagerness. The only things she knew about Uzumaki Naruto was his name and age. She knew enough about his home to picture how it functioned, but the celestial couldn't say that she was actually _knew _the boy himself.

Contrarily, she had shared whatever she could with him. She told him how she had never left the Astral Forest until a couple of years ago. They conversed about how she traveled all of Ionia, gaining fame for her actions. She also described to him the way she became something of a legend around Ionia and its outer islands. No matter what she told him, he seemed interested to learn whatever he could about her. However, when she mentioned her peculiar love of banana's, he refused to look her in the eye for a couple of hours.

Feeling her shoulder being nudged, the Starchild turned to her charge. "So, how we gonna cross that giant mountain anyway? I don't see a bridge or anything?" He could likely traverse it while carrying Soraka on his back, but he didn't want to show off any of his talents. Pointing to a distant village on one of the ridge's many plateaus, the healer responded to his previous question.

"Although it may not look it, the interior of the Navori Mountains are mostly hollow. If we proceed through that small village, there is a pathway that will lead directly through."

Taking in the considerable size of the mountain, Naruto looked skeptical. "Are you sure? It looks like we'll be in there for a long time."

Looking at his face, Soraka giggled as his squinted eyes made him look like one of the foxes of southern Ionia. "Believe it or not, people actually live within the mountains. We're in no real danger while we navigate through Navori." He didn't seem too ecstatic to be navigating through the center of a mountain, but he accepted her explanation anyway.

Resuming their journey, the duo continued on in silence.

* * *

"Again!"

Obeying the sergeants command, the young woman swung her blade through an imaginary foe. The numerous beads of sweat that trailed down her forehead showed her obvious exhaustion. Spotting a possible weak-link, the platoon instructor marched up to the solider and leaned into her ear.

"Again!"

Without missing a beat, the sword sliced through the air with a barely audible _swish._. Analyzing the form of the warrior before him. The sergeant took a position no more than an arms length in front of the woman.

"Again..."

Though his command was whispered, the entire squad repeated the same motion simultaneously. Standing straight with hands intermingled behind his back, the instructors eye's glanced to the weapon that was parallel to his neck. Looking past the blade, he looked into the soldiers veridian eye's. While he continued his observation. The woman stood, unflinching. The only thing that existed was her and the enemy. Nodding his head, the man made a sharp facing movement and proceeded to the front of the platoon.

"Recover!"

Sheathing their weapons, the group before him took a knee and awaited further instruction The instructor studied the men and women before him before finally speaking.

"Remember... A practitioner of a thousand skills will always be defeated by a master of one!"

A loud chorus of agreement assaulted his ears. Smirking in satisfaction, the sergeant issued one last command.

"Dismissed!"

Arising from her position, the woman started her trek back home.

* * *

"Welcome home, daughter. I trust that your weekly training went well?"

Laying her weapon to the side as she settled before her father. The brunette nodded in response to his inquiry. Grabbing one of the cups before her, the ebony haired woman prepared to pour herself some tea.

"I see... very well, tomorrow morning we will spar to see just what the guard is being taught these days. Does that sound agreeable to you, Irelia?"

Setting her cup down, Irelia released a content sigh. She relaxed a bit as the heat from her beverage spread throughout her body. Refocusing of her father, she gave her answer, "Yes father, I shall be up when the sun rises."

Running his hand through his silvery beard, Lito looked out the window. Watching as the light of the sun receded beneath the horizon. Following the light as it faded into darkness, the elderly man went silent. Finishing her cup of tea, Irelia looked upon her only parent to see that his gaze was still locked to the horizon. Turning her head to take in the view, she raised an eyebrow in confusion. Curving her neck to glance back at Lito, Irelia wondered why he had such an intense look in his coal like eye's.

"Father? Are you alright?"the old man blinked as the concerned voice of his child reached his ears.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"You were scowling at the darkness outside." Taking a moment to gather his bearings, he looked back into her eye's before responding.

"I am fine daughter, you have nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure father you..." Cutting off his daughter before she could finish, Lito asked a question of his own.

"By the way, where is that brother of yours? I know he isn't in the same regiment as you, but he should have been home by now."

Pushing the fact that her father had interrupted her to the back of her mind, Irelia thought about where her brother could be.

"I'm not sure? The only thing Zelos told me was that he had to report to the Placidium for some type of

assembly."

"Yes, I remember now..." Lito nodded his head as he recalled the reason why the captain of the Ionian guard had called an emergency meeting. Laying his eye's on his daughter, he decided that she deserved to know what the future could bring.

"Irelia, do you know who is attending this gathering?"

"From what I heard, it was supposed to be only sergeants and above." Whatever they were assembling for, they deemed it too sensitive for foot-soldiers like herself to hear.

"Do you always accept what others tell you to be the truth?" Hearing the chastising tone her fathers voice took. Irelias eye's met the surface of the table.

"Always strive to find your own truth my child. No matter how elusive it may be!" Looking at his daughters bowed head, Lito already knew what her response would be.

"Yes father. Forgive me..." Before she could continue her apology, his wrinkled hand shot out and slowly raised her chin so that she could meet his gaze. "There is no need for apology child. I was simply imparting some wisdom upon you."

Seeing the earnest expression on his face, Irelia let a modest grin grace her lips. Clearing his throat, the elderly man continued were he left off.

"Anyhow... I will tell the same thing that your brother will hear. The reason the captain called an emergency meeting was to discuss a a possible threat to Ionia."

Before she could say anything, Lito raised a hand. "Do not interrupt!" Biting her lip in anxiety,

Irelia waited for her father to resume.

"Apparently there has been rumors that Noxus is getting ready to launch an offensive against us. Since the Institute of War has forbidden them from warring. Noxus has increased it's trade with us ten fold. The various elders of the other provinces fear that this may be some kind of strategy that Noxus has devised in order to scout out our defenses." Noticing the agitated look on his daughters face, he nodded to her. "You may ask what is on your mind."

Arching her head in gratitude, the young woman spoke what was on her mind. "If the elders know of the Noxians subterfuge, then why do we allow them on our land?"

"The elders 'know' nothing. All they have is conjecture and the Noxian's own bloodthirsty history. Only a fool would believe that Noxus is here on friendly terms. However, if we restricted them from entering our territory without just cause. Then we would run the risk of looking paranoid and isolationist."

"What do we do then? Just continue to let them plot against us?" Lito could hear the disbelief in her voice.

"We don't really have a choice, now do we? The only thing we can do is bolster our defenses and hope that our distrust is unfounded. That being said, I shall start teaching both you and Zelos the advanced aspects of _Hiten _as soon as he returns."

Shock washing across her face, Irelias eye's shot up to bore into her fathers own. "But why, we haven't been instructed in _Hiten_ for years now!?" Throughout the years, the sole master of the Hiten style had shown his children just why his techniques were so highly coveted. It had taken them years just to master the basics.

"_It must be because he truly believes that we could be going to war." _It was the only logical answer she could think of. Everything her father did had a reason.

Studying his daughter as she ran through a gauntlet of emotions, the old master finally responded.

"Why? Because if you desire peace Irelia. Then you must prepare for war!"

* * *

"Hello, What brings you to our humble village Lady Soraka?" the old monk addressed the Starchild as he approached them.

While Soraka dealt with the locals, Naruto examined his surroundings. Still being In the Navori region, most of the terrain was elevated. However, unlike the other side of the mountain, this side had a more vibrant feel to it. Instead of the dense mist that rolled over the plateaus, there was an assortment of different kinds of plant life. The dull grays and brown of the mountain transformed into yellows, pinks, and a whole bunch of shades of green Naruto was sure he didn't know the name of.

"Fascinating isn't it? No matter how many forms it takes, life always seems to amaze me!"Turning to face his companion, the whiskered teen could only nod his head in agreement. Taking in more of the scenery, he could almost _feel _the tranquility that this village seemed to radiate.

"Soraka? I thought I sensed you. What brings you here? And who is your companion?" Turning yet again to see who had approached them. The ninja was somewhat surprised by the appearance of the woman.

The first thing he noticed was that her skin was similar to what he saw in Kumogakure. From what he had witnessed so far, the denizens of Ionia all had the same skin tone for the most part. Some had a slight tan complexion like him. However, the lady in front of him was the darkest thus far. Shaking his head, Naruto also noticed her dark eyes. Glancing downward, She was wearing what looked to be a ceremonial robe. Taking a peak at the other villagers that greeted them. He noticed that they were all wearing a variation of the same thing.

"_**Maybe their apart of a cult of some sort... In that case, we should brutally kill them all!" **_Hearing Chomei's chipper voice talk so casually about murder made Naruto's spine shiver.

"_Ehhh... I don't think they're gonna attack us. Soraka-chan seems to trust them." _He also couldn't sense any ill will from them either. _"Were is this coming from anyways Chomei? Your usually pretty gentle."_

For as long as he'd been the horned beetle's jinchūriki, he'd never heard it say anything even remotely violent.

"_**Well! Back when I was with Fū, she was attacked by two of those Akatsuki jerks! One of them kept talking about sacrificing her to some guy named Jashu or something... So Fū hit that guy so hard that his neck twisted a full 180 degrees! You should have heard it! The sound of his neck bones splintering as my girl's foot shattered his jaw! It was a truly marvelous sight to behold!"**_

Hearing a huge insect with such a high-pitched voice explain the brutal death of someone... just didn't sit right with the blonde.

"_**But he just stood back up and laughed at my Fū! No matter how many times she broke him, he just kept getting back up!Eventually the string guy joined in and they captured her... but the way that one guy talked was like he was in a cult! I hate cults..."**_

Grimacing as he realized that he had just heard how one of his fellow jinchūriki were captured. Naruto turned his attention back onto the group of monks. "_I hope their 'just' monks."_

As he studied the brown-skinned woman more, he also noted another quality that separated her from her peers. Putting his head down and concentrating, he let the natural energy of the world fill him.

"_Just as I thought, this lady must be pretty strong!" _Compared to the others, this woman practically screamed at his senses while he was in sage mode. Her fellow monks on the other hand weren't anything special.

"Excuse me." Lifting his head as he let the chakra leave him, the sage gave the woman his full attention," Huh? You talkin' to me?"

"Yes, I was. I wanted to introduce myself to you, seeing as your a friend of Sorakas. My name is Karma, how do you do?" Bowing as she introduced herself, Naruto scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Uh, I'm Naruto. Nice to met you I guess..." Noting the boys lack of manner's, Karma continued," It is an honor to meet you. Tell me, what brings a troubled spirit such as yourself through this village?" Giving her an impassive glance, Naruto responded to her probing. "What do you mean by troubled? I feel great, ttebayo!"

Ignoring the verbal-tic, Karma dug deeper, " Please do not lie to me Naruto, I can see in your eye's that you've suffered greatly. There is a hole in your heart that if not fixed, may swallow you completely." Looking rather offended by her statement, Naruto glared at her as he tuned his back on the group. But not before leaving with the last word. "You may be Soraka-chan's friend, but don't go talking like you know anything about me! We barely just met!"

Nodding her head in agreement, Karma effortlessly rebutted his statement. "Your right, I don't know you. But if I can read you so simply, what do you think the world can see?" Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Naruto stomped off deeper into the village.

Looking back at the celestial, the monk apologized, " I'm sorry if I've angered your friend, Soraka." Shaking her head, the astral maiden stared at the back of the retreating adolescent. " You've done nothing wrong Karma. In fact, I would be happy if you kept trying to get through to him." Giving the blunette a curious glance, the young woman merely nodded her head.

"I will see what I can do, but he must _want _to overcome whatever ails him first. The spirit can be a very fragile thing Soraka. Nonetheless, it can also be forged to be stronger than even the most solid metals."

* * *

A loud _clang _rang throughout the courtyard. Pushing their swords against each other, the siblings stood in a stalemate. Neither one of them giving ground. They parted and dropped into defensive stances. Analyzing the other for any hint of an opening, the younger of the two seemed to have found her mark.

"_There!" _Vaulting towards her brother a speed that surprised even their father, Irelia struck with her blade in a piercing motion. In an act of desperation, Zelos placed his own weapon where he thought her own would land. Unfortunately, the elder child of Lito miscalculated and felt the immense force jab into his diaphragm . Falling to his knees as he felt the oxygen rush out his lungs, the sergeant clutched his chest in an effort to stem the pain.

"D-Damn Irea..." Coughing as his lungs struggled to take in air, Zelos glanced up as his younger sister. "What did I do to piss you off?" Dropping her previous stance, Irelia smirked down at her heaving brother in triumph.

Walking in between his children, the _Hiten_ master judged the performance of his children. "Zelos! Though you show great power in your sword strokes, you over reach which leaves you open to a counter attack. It seems the 'style' they taught you in the guard has been too ingrained in your form!"

Looking upon his youngest however, Lito had nothing but praise. " You've seem to be taking what I taught to heart Irelia. The execution of your last _**Blade Surge **_was almost flawless." Hearing the praise she was receiving from her father filled the brunette with pride. It was uncommon for the elderly man to give any sort of compliment. He would usually focus on what they did wrong. "However... just like your brother you put too much in your strikes! _Hiten _is about using your opponents mistakes against them. Not pummeling them down with reckless strikes!"

Though Lito continued to list every single error they made, he was still genuinely impressed with his daughter's performance. "_Even though she was clearly outmatched by his obvious experience, she never stopped struggling. The sheer will to keep fighting was what won Irelia this duel. It is because of this that I have no doubt that she will be the one to carry on my legacy."_

* * *

The Moon... most found its radiant glow to be captivating. A few even worshiped it. But to the lone Uzumaki, he felt nothing but bitter loathing as he gazed up at the pale white rock. Every time he looked up at it, he was reminded of Kaguya. It felt like she looking down at him with that stoic gaze that she had. He could almost hear her mocking him.

"_The efforts of your 'Shinobi Alliance' are trivial Uzumaki... all chakra **will **return to its rightful place."_

Remembering the way she so effortlessly beat him after he got separated from his team only added fuel to the fire that was his rage.

"_Either you become my plaything... or you will cease to exist. Those are your only two choices._

Looking back, everything that happened was because of Obito. The death of his parents, his shitty childhood,the Akatsuki, Madara, Kaguya! All because he so traumatized over some girl who didn't even like him! His whole entire world, destroyed by some asshole who got turned down!

"**Y'know, when he puts it like that... the whole reason everything happened was because that asshole died a virgin! What a loser!_" _**Shukaku cackled at the thought. The whole shinobi world, gone because some guy couldn't get laid!

"**I don't think it was that simple, Shukaku." **It just sounded too... pathetic.

"**You gotta a better explanation? I'm not buyin that whole 'Uchiha legacy of hatred' bullshit! That bitch Madara was just super butthurt because he got his ass kicked. Imagine that! Getting your ass beat soooo hard, that it became a legend. HAHAHAHA!"**As the Ichibi continued his cackling, the other bijū thought about what he said.

Even though Kurama usually thought that everything that came out of Shukaku's mouth was utter bullshit. He couldn't help but agree with his logic. The Uchiha _were _sore losers, there was no about that.

"**In the end... It was him who was had the last laugh though, wasn't it?" **The Octo-Bull's comment caused the mood among the others to plummet almost immediately.

"**Hmm... not really. Madara was really just a pawn of Kaguya the whole time. Ironically, he was ultimately destroyed by his own plot." **The room stayed silent as the bijū contemplated the fox's words.

Still ruminating over his previous thoughts. Naruto heard nothing of his tenant's conversation. Hearing a fallen branch crunch behind him, the blonde palmed the hidden knife he had picked up when Soraka wasn't watching.

"You got can re-sheath your weapon, I mean you no harm." Glancing below his position atop the tree branch, he spotted the lady from earlier. "You need something lady? I'm not exactly in the mood to argue with you right now." Giving the jinchūriki a knowing smirk, Karma responded," I would hope not, I can feel your blood lust from here."

That last comment actually made Naruto interested in what the monk had to say. Allowing himself to fall from the tree. The woman was surprised to see him land without injury. Recomposing herself, Karma quickly gauged the length of the tree before asking her question. "Are you alright, that drop was at least 20 or so feet." Looking up at the spot he had just occupied, the shinobi lazily shrugged his shoulders. "Really? Didn't feel like it."

Furrowing her brows, Karma studied the boy if front of her as if trying to find some type of clue as to who he really was. "_ I don't believe anyone but the ninja of the Kinkou Order could brush off a fall like that so easily. There is also the matter of his spirit. Discounting the animosity of feel poring off him, it feels way too 'heavy' to be normal." _Luckily for her, his resentment didn't seemed to be aimed at anyone in the village.

Clearing her throat, the female monk revealed the true reason for her visit. "Listen, I didn't come here to discuss your apparent acrobatic ability. I came here to apologize."

This threw the blonde off-guard. "Apologize for what?" Karma stared at him for a moment before calmly blinking her eye's. "I felt as though I offended you with my statement earlier, and I wanted to make amends." Raising an eyebrow at her statement, Naruto let her continue. "However, that is not the true reason that I came hear."

Narrowing his eye's in suspicion, the lone jinchūriki addressed his visitor. "Then why did you come here? Soraka-chan already brought me some food earlier, and I don't remember telling you where I was going..."

Closing her eye's at his question, she responded,"You didn't... I asked Soraka for your whereabouts. I think you forget, she is my friend just as much as she is yours. Regardless, the reason I sought you out was to ask you for a favor."

Confusion raced across Naruto's face as he gawked at the woman. "A favor? What could I possibly do for you?"

Re-opening her eyes, Karma peered into his eye's with such intensity that he had to take a step back. "I want you to let me help you." Regaining his footing, the sage once again narrowed his eye's at the ebony woman. "Let you help me? Help me what? You guys aren't some kind of cult are you?" Recalling the Nanabi's earlier suspicious, Naruto gradually stared to distance himself from Karma.

"A cult? No, I merely wish to help you overcome your current burdens." She was confused where he got the idea of a cult from, but it wasn't important. "Remember when I said I could sense your blood lust earlier? I can also sense the anguish you try so hard to hide." He took a step back as the woman advanced towards him. "If you don't confront it, it will consume you."

Naruto was left speechless as he continued to back away from the spiritual healer. "The darkness you carry within will continue to fester..."

Getting closer, she continued, "Like a seed, it will continue to grow. Thriving on your own enmity and self-loathing until one of two things happen."

His back hitting a tree, the blonde cursed as he was left with nowhere else to go. Karma however, kept advancing. "You will end your suffering by taking your own life..." His eye's widened in shock at her words.

Now just a whisper away from each other, Karma finished her speech.

"...Or you will lash out at the only person who cares about you!" Swinging his head frantically, Naruto denied the accusation.

"I would never hurt Soraka-chan!" It was because of her that he was still alive! It was because of her that he even had any hope of returning home! It was because of her that he had a reason to live! Even if it was only temporary.

"_She's also the reason why I have to live with this unbearable guilt. If she had just left me alone in that forest... I would've been with the others." _

Seeing the remorse in his eye's, she knew she had him. "If not for your own sake, allow me to help you so that you don't hurt the one person who truly cares for your well being."

Diverting his eye's from her own, a reluctant look came over the jinchurikis face. "And how would you help me? Unless you know some type of jutsu that can rip holes into other places, there ain't much you can do!" A perplexed look overcame Karma's face as she thought about his last statement.

"_Rip holes into other place? Jutsu? Perhaps Soraka was correct to assume this boy isn't of Runeterra". _None of what the boy said made any sense to her. She would inquire about what these 'jutsu' were later. For now, she would focus on his current problem.

"I can't reverse what has befallen you, but I **will** help you get over the pain that dwells within you. If you can master what I have to teach you. Then you will become stronger! Both physically and spiritually! After all, if you can conquer yourself, who else could possible oppose you?"

* * *

Gazing at the purplish hues of the sky as she walked down a narrow avenue. A woman barely out of her adolescent years made her back home. It always took a considerable amount of time to reach it from the barracks where the soldiers trained. She wouldn't complain though, it was because of the military that she had her own home now. Every citizen of Noxus was conscripted into military service for at least six years. That didn't mean that they weren't compensated for their time though.

It wasn't this mandate that put her in her current position however. She actually wanted to join. The military was the only way for an orphan such as herself to become anything other than a whore or a thief. Once she had reached the minimum age, the woman was found at the recruiting station the next day. That day,she had pledged her life to the Noxian war machine, and hadn't looked back since.

Though she had been in the army for about 3 years now, the young woman had never seen any actual combat. The closest she'd been to any type of bloodshed were the few outposts she served at. Patrol duty wasn't as glorious as being on the front lines, but it was an important duty nonetheless. Though she doubted that the Demacians could ever break past their guard, it was what she was ordered to do.

Since she was still young, she wasn't really allowed to be in direct combat. It wasn't unusual to see the younger members of the army serve in other auxiliary positions. Gate guard, assistant blacksmith, even as a mess hall attendant. She had done them all with pride in her heart, for she knew that one day, it would be her leading the charge towards Noxian glory.

However, fate seemed to have other plans. A couple of months after she finally reached the age to properly soldier, that right was taken from her. The 'Institute of War' as they liked to call themselves, had made both empires sign a cease-fire. That had been a blow to the young Noxian's moral. Without conflict, how would she prove herself. The weeks after the announcement were some of the most upsetting that she had deal with for years.

She couldn't understand how Noxus could just agree to their demands. _Noxus!_ The strongest empire that Runeterra had ever known! Stopped by a piece of legislation... It put a bad taste in her mouth any time she thought about it. After brooding about it for awhile, she had accepted that there wasn't much that her nation could do about it. Some of the strongest wizards in all of Valoran also ran the Institute of war. Defying them would only lead to a war on two fronts.

She didn't have to wallow in depression for long, however. Their had been whispers that the Noxian High-Command had an invasion in the works. It was believed that they were planning to assault the island nation of Ionia within the coming months. Nobody knew if it was fact or fiction, but the signs were there. Production of weapons and armor had increased by a least 300%. Training had been increased from 4 days a week to 6. Something was happening...

Continuing her steady pace down the crooked pathway, the young woman had a hopeful look on her face. If the gossip was to be believed, then she would finally be able to prove herself! She only hoped that the Ionians put up a decent fight. She had heard that they were weak and only cared about achieving some type of spiritual euphoria.

So caught up in her thoughts, the girl didn't even notice the group of drunks she'd brushed by. The group of intoxicated men barely noticed until one caught a look at just what had bumped into them.

"Hey! You just hit my buddy here!" She had barley touched him, but that was irrelevant. The young woman stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at them.

"Sorry, I didn't see you..." Before she could continue her trek though, the group o drunkards had her surrounded. Leering at her, the man from before put his arm across her shoulder and licked his lips.

"Tis no problem lass! I'm sure we can work somthin' out. Why don't you come with us? I'm sure we can find someway for you to make it up to us." As he told her his proposal, his hand gradually slid lower until it was almost completely over her breast. He didn't get the chance to squeeze the supple flesh however.

Shrugging her shoulder to remove the mans arm, she started to walk away from the group. Gritting her teeth in silent indignation. The young woman decided it would be best if she just walked away. It was obvious they were drunk, she had smelled the alcohol before she had even turned the corner. Even if they were intoxicated, it was still strange that they approached an obvious soldier in such a way. Though she didn't have on her full uniform, her status should have been clear as day.

Barely a couple of feet away, a member of the group ran forward and gripped her arm. "Hey Bitch!Who said we was done witchu? Don turn yer back on ush!"

With her back still turned to the stranger the girl addressed the drunk, " You would be wise to release me..." The man didn't heed her warning however, and continued his intimidation. " I'll release ya once I've had ma fill!"

Not seeing the grim look that adorned her face, the man kept his harsh grip on her wrist. " I see... then there is no other way."

Before he could question what she meant, the man was flung forward as she jerked her arm away from him. Before he could protest, his world exploded in pain as the young woman's elbow crushed the cartilage of his nose. Collapsing as blood poured out his nose, the drunk could barely talk as he screamed in anguish. His blood seeping through his fingers and onto the soiled ground.

Seeing their comrade fall, the other two prepared to engage the girl. " You stupid bistch! You shoulda just played nice, now we have ta cut cha!" Pulling out a small dagger, the man charged the unarmed woman. Going for an horizontal slash that he learned when he was in the military. He expected to hear the satisfying squelch of steel cleaving through flesh.

Time seemed to slow down for him when he saw the girl effortlessly dodge his slash. Jumping forward into his guard. His mind didn't even have the chance to process what happened next. After the deviant had finished the full motion of his incredibly telegraphed attack. The woman dashed forward and counter attacked. Grabbing the arm which was meant to harm her, she twisted it before driving her elbow into the vulnerable limb . The force behind her blow was far more than what was needed to shatter his elbow. With a sicking crunch, the man grabbed his arm as the dagger fell to the street.

Seeing that he was still standing, the girl struck again. This time grabbing his shoulders for stability. Rearing her knee back, she drove it into his crotch with tremendous force. His mouth opening in a silent scream, the drunk collapsed as the lower half of his body went numb.

The last man stood frozen in shock as he witnessed his drinking buddies fall before the young woman's brutal assault. Now shaking in terror, he fell to his knees when she began walking towards him. "P-Please lass! I means no harm! We was jus kiddin! PLEASE DONT CRUSH MY BALLS!"

As the man in front of her collapsed into a heap of sobs, she stood and started at him. Shaking her head, she proceeded to rend him unconscious by stomping on the back of his head. Looking around her, she noticed as the bystanders rushed away into nearby hovels as her gaze fell upon them. Straightening her gear, she continued towards her original destination.

It was always the same. Whether it be pickpockets, murderers, or the perverts . The lower wards of Noxus were one of the most undesirable places to inhabit. It was a wonder she made it to her teenage years living in such a cesspool. The military patrols didn't really monitor this part of the city if they could help it. Thus, crime was allowed to go on unchecked.

Despite growing up in the heart of such poverty, a part of her was glad that she grew up in such an environment. Without it, she likely wouldn't have developed such a strong will to succeed. Looking up at the mountain that housed the upper-class of Noxian society. The woman reminded herself that one day, she would also be up there.

That was why she pushed herself so hard. Why she strove to be the best warrior that she could be. Even her platoon sergeant praised her as the strongest in their squad. That wasn't enough for her however, she would continue driving towards the top until she was either dead or Grand General. Her trainers always commented on how she was a prodigy with a long-sword. Unacceptable, she would become the most renowned blade-master that Valoran had ever known.

It was why she loved her home so much. Outsiders called them names like xenophobic, genocidal, unethical. She ignored such titles. The only thing that mattered was her goal. No matter who someone was, they could carve out a spot in the higher echelons of Noxian society! The only thing that mattered here was power! Good, evil ,light, dark... none of these titles mattered in Noxus. For as long as you could prove your might, the sky and beyond were the limit.

Giving once last determined glance before she entered her home. The woman nodded to herself as she gazed upon the castle which sat upon the top of the mountain one last time.

* * *

"**Concentrate..."**

Hearing the echo of Kurama's voice, he sank deeper into his trance. Sitting with legs crossed , the grip he had on his knees increased as he relived the events that brought him to Ionia. Sitting parallel to him was Karma, monitoring the flow of his spiritual energy. They had been at it for the last few days and the blonde hadn't made much progress.

Initially, he had refused to accept Karma's method of help until Soraka almost begged him to believe in the monk. It hadn't taken long for him to fold once the Starchild grasped his hands and pleaded with him. Since then, the stubborn blonde had been seen with the ebony woman every sunrise in the village temple.

"If you don't _believe _in what your trying to accomplish, then what we're doing will have no effect Naruto. I would think you would know this after sitting here for the last couple of days."

Snapping his eyes open, he glared at her, "I don't even know why I'm here! The only reason I'm doing this is because Soraka-chan asked me!" Shaking her head in disappointment, Karma responded to his outburst.

"That's the problem. Your doing this for Soraka, when really, your supposed to be meditating so you can reflect on yourself. The longer you maintain this stubborn attitude, the longer this takes. I can understand if your afraid to confront the doubts you hold deep within" She really could, that was one the hardest parts of this process, being able to overcome your own ego.

"Reflect on myself? I've already done that, and I overcame my hate!" Thinking back to the training he had with Kirabi. He remembered how he had to face 'Dark' Naruto and accept it as part of himself.

Raising a delicate eyebrow, she responded to his claim of enlightenment. "Be that as it may, you speak of only understanding a part of yourself. Have you ever come to truly know your own limits? Have you ever been forced to look at yourself and know you couldn't go on? You may have started down the path to enlightenment, but you've barley gotten your feet dirty. The path to such harmony is endless, as there is always something new to learn about yourself."

Gritting his teeth in frustration, the irate jinchuuriki was about to respond when the Kyubi made its presence known.

"_**Stop boy! Listen to what she is saying. Can you say that know who Uzumaki Naruto really is?"**_

Hearing his tenant's question made the blonde pause for moment. "_Of course I know who he is! I'M HIM! Besides, I've already accepted that even I can hold darkness within myself. I have no idea what she is talking about..." _

"_**No, the figure you met within yourself was merely a product of my meddling. As you know, chakra is made up of both physical and spiritual energy. Well, after the seal broke down the first time. I began secretly manipulating your psych. Using the slight control I had over your chakra, I began harvesting your negative emotions. All of your hate, anger, misery... loneliness. All these feelings manifested into the Naruto that you encountered when you sat at the Falls of Truth." **_

Sitting in amazement in what Kurama had just told him, the lone ninja questioned the kitsune. _"H-How did you manage all of that? Was the seal really so broken?!"_

"_**Yes and no. The seal your father used was based on Uzumaki techniques. It was something that even he likely didn't completely understand. Kushina on the other hand... she was the one who made that damn Yondaime into who he was. She knew the consequences the seal could have on your mind. I'm sure it was part of the reason why she and your father locked a portion of their souls within the seal. That being said, you are the third Uzumaki I've been stuck in. I've had a long time to study your clans techniques."**_

As his mind slowly came to understand what it being told. Naruto came to respect Kurama even more. Despite the face that he had just learned how he had his mind manipulated, he had to give the fox his props. Waiting years to amass enough of his own ill will must have taken huge amounts of patience.

"_**Regardless, what that female speaks is the truth. You've never really been pushed to your own 'edge' before the war. Before then, the only loss you had experienced was the old toad pervert. Even then you snapped out of your depression rather quickly thinks to Iruka. When the Hyuga died, you used his sacrifice to bolster your cause."**_

Biting his lip as Kurama made his point. The blonde still denied what he was hearing. "_That's not true! When Oji-san died I was pretty hurt. There was also when Sausuke left! Then there was..." _Kurama's booming voice easily drowned out his own.

"_**Listen to yourself Naruto! Your only making excuses that even you don't believe in! Or did you forget, I know you better than you **_**think****_ you know yourself. When the Sandaime died, you were more concerned with comforting the younger Sarutobi. When the Uchiha left, you believed so foolishly that you could save him from himself."_**

Letting out a dry chuckle, Naruto thought about what the fox had said. "_I'm I really so easy to read?"_

"_**No... otherwise you wouldn't be wasting this woman's time with your foolishness." **_

For the last couple of minutes, Karma had been observing the young man before her. After her last remark, he had fallen silent. She felt his aura fluctuate between furious highs and sullen lows before it just evened out. Eventually she heard him laugh, or perhaps it was a cough? With his mood she couldn't really tell.

Now, he just stared at the ground between them with a thoughtful look on his face. Before long, he lifted his head to talk to her. Looking into his eyes, Karma could tell something within him had changed. She only hoped it was for the better.

"Are you ready to continue? We still have a long road before us." Instead of the usually stubborn attitude that accompanied her question, he just nodded. Taking a deep breath, he replied to her question. "Yeah, I cant just keep going on like some broody bastard, right?" Giving the sage a strange look, Karma merely decided it was just best to agree with the enigmatic teen.

"Agreed, even the strongest of structures only begin with a single stone"

* * *

Looking at the sun, a part of the Starchild still wished that she was back home in the Astral Forest. The climate there always stayed the same. Since there was no real night or day, the temperature stayed constant. She never had to worry about sunburn before, as there wasn't a 'sun' in the forest. Now though, she could feel its rays on her pale skin. It was rather irritating.

Re-examining her staff for the 5th time in the last three hour's. The celestial was actually starting to get impatient. It had been about a day since she had made it into the Ionian capital. Almost immediately, she had made her way to the Court of Wisdom to talk with the local elder. Luckily for her, all the other elders from the various provinces were also there. Thus making her job considerably easier.

Unfortunately for her however, they had been in a meeting when she got there. The guard at the entrance to the chamber told her that they had been in there for about the last two hours. It made the healer wonder, what could be so important that they were in counsel for five hours? She hoped Naruto was having more success than she was. She had faith that Karma would be able to solve whatever was troubling him. Or at least she hoped so.

The night before she left was still fresh in her mind. She had followed Karma into the outskirts of the village after she had been gone for more than half an hour. Soraka had found the darker skinned woman in some kind of argument with her charge. Their heated debate had ceased as soon as she had made her presence known.

* * *

"What seems to be the problem here?" Naruto was avoiding eye contact with her for some reason. Noticing the blondes reaction to Sorakas presence, Karma gave him a critical look. Seeing that her glare wasn't working, the monk finally turned her gaze towards the celestial.

"He refuses to accept that which is obvious! I merely offered my help to him and threw it back in my face." Though she couldn't call the woman in front of her angry. Karma's irritation was as clear to see as the stars on a dark night. "_Just when I think he understands, he throws a tantrum like a stubborn child!"_

"Because there's nothing wrong with me lady! I've been trying to get that through your obviously thick skull for like the last ten minutes!" The two before her where already In the other's face. "_I should stop this before they come to blows!"_

Before she could diffuse the situation however, the duo had started again. "Thick skull... I don't know why someone like Soraka waste's her time with someone like you! If it were myself, I would just let you drown in your own cowardice!" After the words left her mouth, Karma had almost instantly regretted them.

Looking into his eyes, the monk found that it was suddenly hard to breath. As she continued to stare in his now glowing yellow orbs. As she stared into his cross-shaped eyes,she saw what she thought was some kind of grisly scene playing out in his pupils. Over and over, she saw someone being killed in the most brutal of manners.

Their spine snapped as they were brought down on his knee. A hand protruding from a hole where the heart should be. Tears started to flow down her cheeks as she watched these scenes replay themselves. Each one somehow more gruesome then the last. Despite her lifelong practice of strengthening ones spirit . Karma felt bile rise her into her throat as she finally saw the figure she was watching the whole time was herself.

Soraka could feel as terror slowly wormed itself into her heart. She had never felt more afraid for her life as she did now. What made it worse was that it was coming from the blonde that she had grown to care for. She gasped as she saw the flame like aura from the forest start to take shape around his form.

"_This Bitch! How dare she...!" _Naruto felt the hatred he thought he had buried deep within himself gradually begin to surface. After all that he lost... all he had been through. She calls him a coward? "_ I had to fight a fucking goddess! Even then I didn't give up! She gets to live in this peaceful village and sit on ass all day... and she calls me a coward!"_

Unconsciously flaring his chakra, the furious jinchūriki glared into the ebony woman's dark eyes. He couldn't hear the bijū within him pleading for him to control himself. The only thing that existed to him in that moment was the woman who dared to insult him in such a way.

Before he could act on his anger, he same something in the corner of his vision. Soraka was slowly stepping towards him. Turning his head towards the woman who saved him, he grimaced as he saw the expression on her face. She had stopped her movements and just stared at him. The fear in her eyes was easy to see. The way she looked hurt him more than any physical blow that she could have dealt. Karma's words replayed in his mind as he and Soraka maintained eye contact.

"_...Or you will lash out at the only person who cares about you!" _The chakra that had began to take shape around him died immediately. Sorakas posture steadily began to relax as she saw the energy around him fade. Continuing to make her way towards him, she was slightly hurt as he turned his back to them.

"Naruto, please face me." Keeping his back turned to her, the Starchild reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. Before he had the chance to brush her hand off, she clamped down with a surprisingly strong grip. Again, she asked him to face her. This time with a stronger tone.

"Face me, Naruto!" Flinching at the tone she used, the boy gradually tuned his body until he was frontward. Though he had obeyed her, she still wasn't satisfied. His head was tucked into chest so that she still couldn't see his eyes. Gently placed her hand underneath his chin. Soraka lifted it until she could finally make them out.

Off to the side, Karma still couldn't believe what she had felt. To have her will crushed so easily from just a single glance. Just who or what was this boy. She had never felt such terrible despair before. Forgetting her previous anger, she felt more curious than anything now. Calming herself down, she listened to what her pale skinned friend had to say.

"Please do not be angry with Karma. It was I who asked her to approach you. You should direct your anger towards me if you want someone to blame."

Diverting his deep blues eyes from her own, Naruto muttered his response to her confession. "I could never be mad at you, Soraka-chan. Not after everything you've done for me..." Giving him a somber smile, she caressed his face.

Though she felt like she was manipulating his feelings for her, Soraka knew that it was what needed to be done. "Then I want you to trust Karma as you have trusted me. Its hurts me that while I may be able to heal your physical wounds..." Moving her hand from his face to chest, she stared at the spot where his heart resided.

"I can nothing about the ones which are hurting you most. This is where Karma will succeed where I have so obviously failed. But I need you to let her in. So far I've failed to do so. So much to the point I'm now afraid of what will happen to you if you keep bottling up such strong emotions."

Almost flinching at the word 'afraid', Naruto listened as the healer continued. " Listen, tomorrow I shall be finishing the last legs of our journey to the capital. While I am there, I want you to learn whatever knowledge Karma has to teach."

Before he could protest, Soraka gave him a stern look. The blonde was actually taken aback at her look. _"Is she actually mad at me? I've never seen her angry before." _Soraka was so mild-mannered, he didn't even think it was _possible_ for her to feel the emotion.

Her stern looked morphed into a pleading one, " Please Naruto, I mean it!If you wont do it for your own sake. Then by the stars, do it for me!"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto knew he could t refuse Soraka's plea. Somehow, he felt like he was being played for a fool. However, because it was Soraka, he would bury those feelings and do as she asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry. I will give Karma's training a chance. _Even if It is complete bullshit..." _Whispering the last part to himself, the blonde was shocked when he was hit in the back of the head with something hard.

"O-Ow! What the hell was that for, Dattebayo!" Rubbing his now aching head, he looked up to see his caretaker with her hands on her hips. He glared at the staff that she always carried in her off hand. It shape was that of a crescent moon. Intricate markings adorned its surface almost making some sort of pattern. At one of its ends there was the actual handle of the staff. While most would call the glimmering rod a beautiful piece of art. Naruto did his best to ignore it as its crescent shape brought back bad memories. Placing his attention back on the taller woman, Naruto took note of her disappointed face.

"How many times do I to remind you? A young man such as yourself shouldn't use such language!" Though she had only had contact with the outside world a couple of years ago. Soraka was quick to pick most of the traditions and morals of her fellow Ionians. Which included a natural abhorrence to such crude language.

"Soraka-chan... I'm 17 years old! Besides where I come from, I was considered an adult when I was 12." That didn't seem to appease the Starchild though.

"And I'm immortal! You don't see me going around using such unbecoming language. Your better than that Naruto!" As the duo continued to bicker, Karma stood behind them with a knowing smile on her face. Letting loose a chuckle, she noticed as the two stopped and turned to see what was so funny. Seeing the attention now focused her, the monk shared what she thought was so amusing.

"The way you two interact, an outsider might mistake you for mother and son." Naruto looked from Karma back over to Soraka, a healthy shade of red dusting his cheeks. "M-My mother?"

Mistaking his tone for embarrassment, the celestial chastised her friend. While she was busy with her friend, the teen continued to stare at her. He was snapped from his trance however when he felt his 'mothers' hand's pull his head into her bosom.

"Though your remark was callous, I wont deny that I've grown quite attached to Naruto." As she spoke, she pulled his face deeper into her breast. "Soraga! Mmppfff... mmpp!" While he was stuck in her grasp, it was at this time that the blonde remembered something important. Soraka never wore any kind of support.

"_W-Wow! Their surprisingly soft, I thought with the way they kept their shape. They would certainly be a lot firmer!" _

"_**I didn't think it was true. But I stand corrected." **_Nodding to himself, Kurama attracted the curiosity of some of the other bijū.

"_**What do you speak of? Did you form some sort of hypothesis about our host?" **_Though usually silent, it seemed that Kurama's statement had finally roused Saiken. The giant slug waved its slimy tails around as it waited patiently for his 'brothers' answer.

"_**It is no longer an hypothesis. I can now say with certainty that our host has a Oedipus complex!"**_

The surprised gasp of the other bijū filled the space they inhabited. All of them murmured to themselves at the revelation. Except Shukaku who stood with a black expression on his grainy face.

"_**O-dipi-wha complex? What in Suna's name are you all mumbling about?" **_Rolling his empty eyes at the sand monsters ignorance, Gyuki decided to fill Shukaku in.

"_**It means that Naruto desires to procreate with his mother. In this case, Soraka-san." **_Surprisingly the Tanuki just kept a blank face. Time seemed to crawl as his mind processed what he just heard. Finally he gave his intelligent response, " **_So he wants to bang his mom? Whats wrong with that?"_**

The other bijū just shrugged as they really didn't understand either. _**" I don't fully comprehend it myself. But apparently most humans find mating between family members wrong." **_

"_**I don't think so... I remember back before the villages were formed. The stronger clans would have such relations all the time. Apparently it made their Kekkei Genki stronger. They call it incest."**_

Licking her flaming paws, Matatabi gave the kitsune a confused look. _**"But I still don't understand why its so wrong? Surely the humans are right to mate in such a way as to produce stronger kittens?"**_

Clacking its hooves on the ground, the dolphin-headed horse tried to answer his siblings question. " _**If I recall, this isn't usually the case. Such unions result in unwanted birth defects that were found In the offspring. It it for this reason that such relationships are frowned upon."**_

Slightly impressed by Kokuo's knowledge, Kurama continued with the lesson. _**"What Kokuo says is mostly correct. While it is true that birth defects do occur, they seemed to be almost non-existent in some clans. I can only speak for Konoha, but among some of the clans there, Incest was quite normal. From what I witnessed from my previous containers, It was always the ones with Doujutsu."**_

The Nibi seemed to catch on to what she was being told. "_** So while some humans had no problems with the practice. Others frowned upon it because they got unfavorable results? Strange..." **_It was times like this that she was glad that she was just a giant mass of chakra that didn't have a 'real' gender.

"_**Back to the point! I remember when the boy met his real mother. There was no doubt that he was attracted to her. He even commented on her hair!"**_

Finally noticing all the activity that was going on inside, Naruto listened in on what his tenants were discussing. He had come in just as the Kyubi was finishing his last remark.

"_Hey! What the hell are you guys talking about in there?" _He had heard Kurama talking about his apparent attraction to his mother.

The fox in question merely snorted at his containers suspicions. "_** Do not deny it boy, I know how you truly felt about Kushina! Admit it! You were grasping her a little to hard when she hugged you if you ask me.."**_

"_Well its a good thing I didn't ask you asshole! That was my first time meeting my mother!Stop being such a pervert you bastard fox!" _Though he denied the accusations, Naruto still remembered the luscious, silkiness of Kushinas alluring crimson hair. "_It _was _really soft..."_

Clearing those thoughts from his head before he proved his tenant right. The blonde of questionably morality remembered he still in between Soraka's mounds. Looking up at her while he was still buried in her rather large bust. He saw her smile down at him with a fond look etched upon her face. Deciding that now was a good time to extract himself, the last Uzumaki slowly pulled himself from the healers grasp.

As he regathered himself he heard Soraka speak, "While I'm gone, I truly hope that you can overcome the pain you have. When next we meet, I look forward to seeing how much you've changed!"

* * *

Cutting her Nostalgia short, the celestial took the time to admire the beauty of the Lotus Gardens. It hadn't been the first time she had done it, but she found it passed the time.

"Excuse me my Lady, the elders will see you now." Giving the young guard a grateful smile, she let herself be guided into the massive building which served as the meeting place for the leaders of Ionia. As they strolled down the ornate hallways, Soraka wondered what their reaction would be to her story.

Coming to a set of double doors with the Ionian crest carved into it, the guard bowed to her as the doors creaked open. Walking into the chamber, Soraka was greeted to the sight of the elders bowing to her in respect.

"You grace with your presence, Starchild. What can these servants of Ionia do for you?" The other members of the council kept their heads bowed as they waited for Soraka's request.

Bowing her head back towards the man who addressed her. The celestial made her request known, " Thank you all for agreeing to see me. I know you have many matters to attend to, so I'll try not to take too much of your time."

Raising their heads from their bowed positions, the elders stood ready to hear what the Starchild could possible want. As they heard her tale about how she found a young man in her forest, the elders of Ionia found themselves becoming suspicious of the man's origins. With the looming threat of Noxus, they had to exercise constant vigilance. Clearing her throat, the current duchess of Shon-Xan interrupted their guests story with a question that the other elders also wanted to ask.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I've noticed something about this boy you speak of. From what you say, he came from the sky. Is it possible that he is not of Runeterra? From the way you described his previous injuries, he should be dead." Nods of agreement could be see going around the room as the others leaders wanted to hear Soraka's answer as well.

Humming in thought, the celestial thought about how she should word her response. She wouldn't lie to them, but she also didn't want them to think Naruto was some sort of menace. "To be honest, I can't really answer that. He's mentioned that he's from somewhere called the Elemental Nations, which I theorized are in another dimension. However, even with this being the case, the customs of his people are somewhat similar to our own. His own dialect is even comparable to ours. But I want to make one thing clear elder.."

The duchess nodded her head towards Soraka. "... While I myself am not really clear of his origins or plans for the future. I know that Naruto is not a threat to Ionia, no matter what you may think about him."

"I do not mean to question your judgment Lady Soraka. However, you seem to place a lot of trust in this man. Whomever he may be." Again, it seemed as the other elders seemed to agree with each other. The Duke of Pallas continued is speech, " That being said, I find myself eager to meet this man. Do you know where he is now?"

" He should be here within the next day, I can bring him before this council if that is what you wish."

Silently looking at each other across the chamber, the elders came to a unanimous decision. "Very well, when your companion arrives, bring him before us. I anticipate meeting a being from a world similar to our own."

* * *

"Are you ready to proceed?" The ninja looked over his shoulder at the approaching form of his current companion. Turning back towards the scenery, he answered , " Yeah I'm good. You said we should be there in a couple of hours right?"

Taking the time to appreciate the beauty that was Ionia, Karma ran her eyes over the length of the waterfall they were waking by. Both sat in silence as they let its deafening roars fill the area. Hearing a grunt, she saw the teen before her jump to his feet and begin to stretch.

For the last few days that she had known him, the blonde had opened up considerably. He could still be rude and somewhat brash at times, bu she mostly attributed that to his age. "_Still, I feel that I haven't learned much about him at all." _

Naruto was good at hiding his emotions, even to someone like Karma. She knew that he was some kind of ninja like those of the Kinkou Order, but he just didn't look the blonde hair along with bright blue eyes didn't exactly scream shinobi. Add his personality to the equation and the monk didn't see how the young man in front of her could possible be one of the infamous 'warriors of shadow,"

"_Thats how he fools you though! A normal person would underestimate him because of how he looks and talks. However, now that I've had the time to get a small glimpse of who he really is, I don't know what to think of him..." _Giving him once last look. Karma began to walk down the path that would lead them to the capital. She knew he'd easily catch up with her when he was ready.

As if on que, her blonde companion came up right behind her with his hands resting on the back of his head. Letting out a sigh, Naruto started to stare at the sky. Looking over at the teen in amusement, the monk figured that some small talk couldn't hurt.

"Whats wrong, something on your mind?" She could tell he was annoyed by the way his eyes were squeezed shut and the thin line his mouth made.

"Nothing really, its just that this is taking way to long to get there! We've been walking for like half a day now."

"Too long? You have a faster way to get there? If so, please show me." Silence met her challenge, as the blonde just stood there staring at the sky.

"As I thought. We will be there within the next 6 hours, just bear with it until then." Before she could continue her pace however, Karma was literally swept of her feet. Were she a lesser woman, she would had let out a high-pitch scream. But as it was, she just settled on indignant rage.

"W-What do you think your doing! Let. Me. Go!" Karma struggled a little as Naruto carried her bridal style. _"The nerve! How dare he just grabs me and..." _As she continued her inner tirade, she heard the blonde laugh.

"Are you sure you want me to drop you? Look where we're at." Karma begrudgingly did as she was asked and looked around. She was confused as all she saw were the tops of trees and the branches that protruded from them. Getting an uneasy feeling, she turned her head and saw that they were on the tree. Which was about 30 feet from the ground.

Before she could calm herself down, Karma felt a jerking motion as her carrier launched off the branch. Snapping her eyes to his face, she saw that he was eerily serene. "_Has he done before? He seems to be at peace, as if he's been doing this for years."_

"How are you doing this? I've never heard, much less seen anybody travel this way." Getting a contemplative look on his face, Naruto continued in silence. Seeing that he wasn't going to answer her question, Karma was about to protest.

"Look Karma, I get the feeling that when we get to the capital, I'm gonna have to explain a lot of troublesome things. If you can just wait until then, I'd really appreciate it." Hearing his sincere tone, the Navorian decided to abide by his wishes.

"Very well Naruto, I will believe in you. I just hope that my trust wont be misplaced though." Giving her a grateful nod, Naruto picked up the pace.

"H-Hey slow down! Naruto!"

* * *

By the time they had reached the capital gates, it was already well into the afternoon. Landing in a silent crouch, Naruto slowly stood to his full height and whistled at the sight of the city.

"Damn! This place is bigger than I thought. How are we gonna find Soraka-Chan?" Hearing his companion clear her throat, he looked down towards her. She merely lifted up a hand and pointed a finger towards the ground. Giving a sheepish chuckle, he carefully set her on her feet.

"Thank you..." Straightening her robe, Karma took a moment to look around the entrance. Some of the people around them gave strange glances. While others merely ignored them all together. To caught up in their own affairs.

Re-adjusting the sash around her waist, the monk was finally ready to continue. Before she could do so however, two members of the Ionian guard stood before them. The senior of the duo approached Naruto as if to arrest him.

"Look buddy, I just got here so..." The guard, realizing his intent had been misinterpreted, stopped his motion and took a step back.

"My apologies sir. But we were ordered to bring Naruto Uzumaki to the Chamber of Wisdom once he was spotted. You are him, correct?" Seeing Karma nod at him in the corner of his eye, he answered the guards question.

"Yeah I'm him, did I do something wrong?" Feeling his shoulder being grabbed from behind, He turned to see his brown-skinned companion say something. "Soraka must've been able to make contact with the elders." Recognition crossed the guards eye's as he heard the Starchild name.

"You are correct ma'am, Lady Soraka has been within the walls of the capital for about the last four days. Should we guide you towards her?" Without waiting for an answer, the guard started walking. As they followed their guide, Naruto took in the area's architecture.

"_The way the buildings are built around the trees is amazing! It reminds me so much of home..." _Giving a wistful smile, the bijū container kept looking around the capital. Speaking of bijū, the resident fox made itself known.

"_**Are you ready for what is ahead boy? The leaders of this place will likely probe you for information about our home."**_

"_I can't say that I'm 'ready', but what choice do I really have? If I don't go along with what they want, they could just decide to throw me out! At the very least, I have to know if they have a way to send us back."_

"_**Why are you so desperate to go back, Naruto? We all know what is there waiting for us. To go back now would be tantamount to suicide! And I know you've already quashed those feelings... Right?!"**_

He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that Kurama had a very good point. Even if they were able to get back to he Elemental Nations. The only thing that would be awaiting them would be Kaguya. His friends were dead the minute he landed on this planet. Whether it be by the Shinju or by Kaguya's own hands, he knew they were no more.

"_Unless I can find someway to get back home and jump back in time..." _Rapidly shaking his head, Naruto cut off that line of thoughts. Even he knew that was a stupid idea to begin with.

"_I guess that leaves me at the mercy of these 'elders'. Hopefully their a lot cooler than the old bastards we had in Konoha! _

"We are here, please wait here while I go alert the elders of your arrival." With that, the soldiers made their way inside the building.

Making herself comfortable on one of the benches, Karma turned her head to the blonde."It is likely we will be waiting here for awhile."

With an annoyed huff, the sage leaned up against one of the many lotus trees in the area. Glancing over at his temporary companion, he noticed that she had her eyes closed. _"Probably meditating... actually that doesn't sound like a bad idea right now." _Closing his own eye's, Naruto began to gradually accumulate the natural energy in the air.

One of the things he noticed when he went into sage mode was how fast it happened. He still had to stay still to draw it in. After that though, the energy just poured into him. It also felt different, the chakra felt a lot more concentrated here. Almost like it was a untapped source of energy.

"_That would make sense I guess... since the people here use that mana stuff. I haven't sensed anyone with anything that feels even remotely similar to chakra. Karma also told me that they used Ki. If that's the case, maybe that mana stuff is the Yin chakra of this place?"_

It didn't make sense to the blonde. These people could use the components of chakra, but couldn't combine them? That still didn't explain the denser sage chakra.

"_**I believe it has to do with the theory of energy." **_ The jinchūriki almost jumped at the sudden voice in is head.

"_The theory of energy? What the hell is that." _Sighing at his containers ignorance, Gyuki continued his explanation.

"_**In Kumo, the humans had this theory that energy isn't created or destroyed. It merely just gets recycled back into the atmosphere. Now, take chakra, which is also a form a 'energy'.When this energy is used up, it gets put back into the atmosphere. Besides those who know Senjutsu, humans cannot access this free energy." **_

"_So it just sits in the air? Does that mean that there is chakra in the air here?"_

"_**Not exactly, while I am still unsure about how this mana works. I believe comparing it to Yin chakra would be for the best right now. Just like 'Ki' it likely just Yang chakra. Now, as I was saying before, most organisms cannot use this free energy. Even most of the summon clans couldn't. That's where nature comes in."**_

Still leaning against the tree, Naruto remained deep in thought. "_ So... Your telling me that the trees and stuff like that can take both Yin and Yang chakra and combine them? But that would mean trees have spirits!"_

"_**Yes and no. Just because something has Yin chakra, doesn't mean that it is 'alive' like you are. But that's for another time. Anyhow, the answer to your question is yes. The nature around you can take in both types of chakra and combine them. Now, the people of this realm can only use one type of energy at a time. That means that while there is a steady amount of chakra going into the cycle, there is also an influx of natural energy. Because there is no one to use it, the chakra has became 'supercharged'. **_

"_But I still don't understand! Wouldn't it be the case back home also? I mean, there weren't exactly sages at every corner. That would mean that there should be a whole bunch of sage chakra to use, right?"_

"_**Wrong. I can see how you would reach that conclusion, so let me clarify. Remember when I was talking about the cycle of energy?" **_Feeling the blonde mentally nod his head, the Octo-bull continued. **_"Well, when you release chakra through any kind of technique, the ambient chakra in the atmosphere is used up as well. Think about your Rasengan for example. It is made of pure chakra, and feeds off yours to maintain its form. That being said, it still draws in minute amounts of the natural chakra around it. Because the humans here cannot use chakra, their is nowhere for this natural chakra to go. Understand now?_**

"_I guess... but what about.." _Before he could could continue his discussion with Gyuki, he was interrupted by someone shaking his shoulder.

"Naruto, it is time for us to go" She was surprised he was still behind her this whole time. While she was meditating his presence just vanished. It wasn't until the guard came and she turned around did she notice that he was still in the exact same spot.

Seeing the blondes eye's shoot open, she pointed at the entrance to the elders chamber. Nodding his head, they proceeded to follow the guard inside.

* * *

Stopping before the double doors, Naruto gazed at the symbol that adorned its surface in awe. Snapping out of it as the doors opened, he proceeded into the chamber with Karma behind him. Stepping into the room, Naruto noticed the nine figures that surrounded his position. Before he could examine the faces of his interviewers, one of them introduced themselves.

"You must be this Naruto Uzumaki that Soraka has told us so much about. Though it might be to late, on the behalf of Ionian people, I welcome you to our home." As he said this, every one of the elders bowed to him. Not wanting to make an ass of himself for once, the blonde gave an awkward bow back.

Raising his head, the elder continued to converse with the jinchūriki.

"I take it your stay here so far has been without complaint?"

Looking contemplative for a moment, Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah its been cool I guess. Y'know , besides the almost dying thing..." Hearing the sigh from behind him, he knew Karma was likely irritated with the casual way he talked to the governing body of her home.

"Yes... about that my boy. From what Lady Soraka has told us, you are not from this reality. Is this true?"

The tone in the man's voice seemed to hold an edge of suspicion.

Letting out he breath he didn't know he had been holding in, the teen readied himself. "_I guess this is it, Hopefully we don't end up being executed or something."_

"_**Yes, do try and take care not to get us all killed..." **_The sarcasm in Kurama's voice was almost painful.

Shaking his head, Naruto looked straight into the elders eyes and answered. "It's true, I'm not from this place. I ended up here after getting my ass kicked."

"And now that your here what are your intentions? Surely you wish to go back to your home?" This comment came from a woman standing three spots to the left of the center elder.

"Well I'm not really sure. I don't know much about this place. The only people I know are Karma and Soraka-chan. I mean, do you guys even have a way to send me home?" The leaders of Ionia could hear the hope in the boy's voice. Unfortunately, they would have to crush it.

"No, we do not dabble in such things. Playing with the fabric that holds our world together is not such a wise idea. Even someone in your position must agree."

"I thought so, looks like I'm stuck here, huh?" The elders didn't seem to be amused by his statement. _"Geez, tough crowd..." _Things weren't looking too good for him at the moment.

"Yes, it's seems as though you'll to make due with Ionia for awhile. Listen, no offense to yourself, but we don't exactly feel comfortable with an extra-dimensional being such as yourself being here" They saw his head drop in dejection.

"However, It is not the Ionian way to turn our backs on someone in need. Luckily, Lady Soraka here has vouched that you mean no harm to our home." Hearing his saviors name Naruto looked around the room in order to find her. He eventually found her to the far right of the chamber. Seeing his eyes on her , the Starchild gave a hopeful smile and nodded her head towards the elders.

"That being said, we know nothing about you. Lady Soraka's word goes a far way, but your own would help to close the gap of our trust."

Putting his hand under his chin, the sage gave the duchess an inquisitive look. "We'll what do you want? My life story?" He didn't know how he could prove himself to them. "_Maybe some sort of test maybe? As long as its not written.."_

Looking among each other, the elders nodded. "Why yes Uzumaki, it would please us to know just who you are. Knowledge is power, and the more we know about you, the better off you'll be."

"_Well... fuck. I didn't think they'd actually agree to that!" _Not displaying his inner turmoil,the last ninja of Konoha prepared his tale. "I suppose I should give a little background then. Once their was a sage..."

As he told all in the chamber about how his world came to be, he saw mixed looks of disbelief and amazement. Fortunately nobody stopped him as he recalled the history of the Elemental Nations.

He then moved onto the major events of his life. The night of his birth, graduating, the chunin exams... he went all the way until the 'end' of the war. It was difficult, but he also explained the principles of chakra to them. He didn't know how all of it worked himself, but he told them what he knew.

He didn't know how long it had taken him, but the elders had stood in rapt attention the whole time. Finally he had finished, and waited for their judgment.

The Duchess from before was the first ,"Naruto, do you mind if I ask how you came here in the first place? We know about everything leading up to this 'ninja war' , but nothing about the events that left you near death in Lady Soraka's forest."

Taking a deep breath, the blonde spoke, "Well..." Leaving them hanging in suspense he just stood in his spot.

"Well? What happened?Did you defeat this goddess you spoke of?"

"I suppose the simplest answer would be that I got the shit kicked outta me." The Duchess gasped at his crude language. He wasn't finished however

"After Kaguya trapped everyone within the Shinju, my team tried to fight her. We were doing pretty good too! Until she got smart and sent me into some sort of pocket space. After that, she proceeded to kick my ass. I tried one last move on her which went wrong. After that, all I remember is waking up in some house. That's about it I guess."

One of the elders to his left didn't seem quite convinced however. "Most of your story is believable, but to fight what you described as a goddess and survive is ludicrous!"

Giving a humorless chuckle, Naruto responded to the elders accusations. " 'Survive' is not the word I would use. When we fought , Kaguya outclassed me in every way... Even with my power, I stood no chance. I have no doubt that if I hadn't been sucked into the portal, I would be dead by now."

The old duke still didn't budge, " That may be, but what about this 'chakra' you speak of? You claim to have the power to fight a 'goddess' but I don't see how that can be. You look like nothing more than a normal boy to me."

Naruto nodded his head, agreeing with the elders point. "Your right, Its a lot easier if I show you!" Almost immediately the elders fell to their knees from the power he released. To them it felt as though an invisible hand was pressing into to them.

After a moment, everyone managed to recover enough to sit in a kneeled position. As they gazed upon the blonde, any doubts that they may have had were eliminated. His 'chakra' formed into a light colored coat, with an almost black looking bodysuit underneath that covered his torso and legs. There was also a light-colored circle on his navel. On his neck were what looked to be golden tear-shaped ornaments. They also happened to be on his back, only this time they were black.

With his now golden hair waving in an unknown breeze, the Uzumaki addressed the same elder from before. "So, is this good enough for you?" The elder in question found it hard to look into the sages yellow cross-shaped eyes.

"Y-Yes, I am convinced." The whole room breathed easier once the invisible weight was removed. As they recomposed themselves, Naruto asked his own question.

"So... what happens now? I've told you everything that I can..." Naruto awaited their answer in obvious trepidation.

The elders stayed silent as they each took the time to form their own conclusions. The looks that they passed one another only served to make the blonde even more nervous. Behind him. Karma was still reeling from his little display of power.

"_I knew that he was hiding something... But to contain such a enormous amount of energy within his being. I truly underestimated his prowess by many degrees. If this is the power that he holds at his fingertips, then how powerful was this goddess that he fought? Just standing this close to him, I felt as though I before a _real_ god..." _

On the other side of the room, Soraka was also lost in her own thoughts. _"To think he's been in such conflict since he was but a child. It makes me wonder just how his world thrived with so many people hiding such hatred in their hearts... It seems as though you managed to strive through all of that though didn't you, Naruto? My only regret is that we had to meet under such horrible circumstances. To lose not only your loved ones, but your whole world..."_

With a loud clap, the middle elder looked upon the sage. "Naruto Uzumaki, to have suffered as you have and came out still looking for a brighter tomorrow is nothing short of miraculous. While some us still have our doubts about you, we would be foolish to deny you a chance to prove yourself. Therefore, it brings me great honor to open our home to you. Would you grant us the same honor and call Ionia your new home?"

Looking on in surprise as the group of elders gave him deep bows, the blonde almost cried. "_They want me to be one of them? To call this place my home..." _Rubbing his eye's before the tears started flowing, the teen quickly accepted their proposal.

"Y-Yes! I would love to... but there is something bothering me." The elders looked confused at their guests remark.

"What seems to be the problem Naruto?" The blonde in question clenched his fist and gave the council a determined look.

"You said that some of you still doubted me! I want to know what I can do to prove myself to my new home!"

Surprised was etched into everyone of the elders faces. Allowing himself a small chuckle, the duke responded to the sage's question.

"Learn... Travel around Ionia and seek the enlightenment that we all aspire to. There are many locations around our home which I think you would be interested in. Get to know your countrymen, an let them know you in return. And above all, find peace within yourself. Ionia is your new home now. While it is important to remember the past, do not make it be what defines your future. This is what you can do for us, Naruto."

Accepting what the elder said, Naruto took a step forward. "I have once last thing to say to the council"

Nodding his head for the boy to continue, Naruto slammed his hand over his heart.

"I promise that for as long as I live, that I will always protect my new home with my life. You didn't have to accept me, but you did! And I will always be grateful that. This is the only way I know to repay such kindness!"

The elder took on a serious look as he heard his new countrymen's declaration, "Are sure you want to make such an oath? Runeterra is filled with many dangers that you know nothing of, and Ionia is but a small island compared to the main land. Even with your substantial power, do you really wish to carry such a burden? Being the Guardian of Ionia will surely come with its own dangers."

His words didn't seem to have any noticeable effect on the jinchūriki. Naruto gave the elder a vicious grin, "Uzumaki Naruto **_never _**goes back on his word! Its the promise of a lifetime!"

"I'm glad to see such conviction in one so young! Very well, I accept your oath." As the blonde nodded and turned towards his companions, the duke saw his fellow elders give him a look. "_Enjoy this peace while it last Naruto. I fear that you will have to take up your mantle far sooner than I would have ever hoped!"_


	4. Rewind

**Rewind**

**After two months of procrastination, here it is!**

* * *

Standing atop one the many peaks that dotted Ionia's landscape, a man looked across the vast expanse of the many valleys that laid before him. Getting a spectacular view of the northern half of Ionia, the traveler whistled as he took in the sight. "So… Where should we go next?" Speaking to no one in particular, Naruto waited for the response he knew would be coming.

"_**Well, we've been to all the landmarks that you wanted to visit. Why don't you go back to the Placidium? See if anything new has cropped up."**_

Looking in the general direction of where the city was, the sage-turned-monk adopted a thoughtful posture as he thought about his tenant's advice. In the last five months, he had seen most of what his new home had to offer. Except for the most remote villages, he was sure that all the most important locations had been hit.

"_We don't really have anywhere need to be… so why not? It's been a couple of months since I've seen Irelia and Zelos anyways." _As he started his descent down the mountain, Naruto remembered the first stop in his tour of Ionia.

* * *

"_Man… I thought the capital was big, but that's one huge ass bridge!"_

As he stood in awe of the large structure, the blonde started to wonder what else he would find in the centrally located city. Feeling it was time to begin his explorations, the blonde made his way toward the overpass that led into the city. As he strolled at the steady pace of the crowd, he couldn't help but wonder what had become of Soraka.

We had officially been accepted into Ionia, the celestial had given him a congratulatory hug. After they had finished with the elders, he had asked her what was next. He still remembered the look she had given him.

"_I thought it would be obvious. How can you call a place home if you know nothing about it? Though it may look small on a map, Ionia can give you quite the adventure! Why don't you see what else our home has to offer, hmm?_

He had picked up on how she had only mentioned him in her advice. When he asked her about it, the Starchild clasped his hands within her own and gave him a sorrowful smile. Apparently she had to return to the Astral Forest. She hadn't told him why it was so important. Only that she _had _to be there. After spending the rest of the day together, she had given him one last piece of guidance.

"_I know that you want to stay with me, but I have my own path to follow. Now that Ionia has accepted you as one of her own, its time you find your own too. I look forward to the next time we meet. And please, try not to get into too much trouble!"_

Giving him a kiss on the forehead before she left, Naruto tearfully watched as she disappeared into the darkness of the night. He didn't know long he had stood there, staring into the forest where she had went. He finally decided it was time to call it a day sometime later. But not before looking to the stars one last time.

The next morning, he was surprised to see Karma at the inn he had been set up with. After the meeting, she had stayed behind to talk to the elder of Navori. When questioned on why she was there, she just gave him a mysterious smirk. Leading him into the heart of the city, she finally took the time to address him.

"_As you are now a fellow Ionian, I feel it my duty to help you be on your way. That being said, I will make sure you are properly prepared for whatever venture you wish to partake in."_

As usual, Karma easily saw through his confused look. She told him to follow the elder's suggestion on seeing the rest Ionia. Asking how he could keep protect Ionia if he didn't even know how to navigate to places like the Placidium. One of Ionia's most important hubs.

For the rest of the day, the duo had visited multiple locations throughout the city. Most of those locations were the homes of local seamstress. Naruto had tried to explain to his guide multiple times the beauty of the color orange. It didn't seem to be a very popular color in Ionia it seemed. He wouldn't mention it to Karma, but he felt that the cream colored robes that she'd given him in Navori were a bit lame.

Every shop that they left just added to the frustration that he had felt. Finally, they had found a hole in the wall shop that had exactly what he wanted. The elderly woman that owned the shop seemed confused as to why he chose the mostly orange getup. That stopped however when Karma showed her the coin she was carrying. After getting fitted, the man had stepped out the shop with a satisfied look on his face.

He couldn't help but let out an excited squeal when he examined his new attire. He wore a loose fitting top that resembled what most Ionian males wore. Of course, most of it being orange. The only parts that weren't were the shoulders and the inside lining. Besides it being orange, the spirals that adorned said lining made it a must buy. It wasn't too difficult to find a matching pair of pants after that.

With a black sash to complete the look, Naruto felt ready to take on the world… or at least Ionia. The only thing that irritated him was the fact that the footwear that he was used to didn't exist in this world. Therefore, he had to settle on some plain white socks and some ordinary sandals to match.

After letting him stew in his excitement for a few moments, Karma had told him was time to move on. She had to get him a tote of some sort, but he had told her the scrolls she had given him were enough. Letting the matter drop, they proceeded to the entrance of the city. Giving him some of the local currency and a map, the monk had decided he was ready. Before she left, she gave him a few parting words as well.

"_I know things haven't always been amicable between us Naruto… nonetheless, I still consider us allies, and friends. If you ever find yourself in the Navori region again, please do not hesitate to visit._

She had looked quite offended when he had laughed right in her face. That was until he pulled her into a hug for her declaration of them being friends. After returning the embrace, the woman gave him one last wave before she too disappeared into the forest. After spending a few more hours in the capital, he also decided to move on.

Thus, he presently found himself at the Placidium, home to the Ionian Guard. After walking around for what he felt had been an hour, the blonde figured that he no idea where he was going. Hearing his hunger make itself known, Naruto decided to ask one of the guards for directions.

"Oi! You wouldn't happen to know where I could get some noodles would you?" Since he had been in this land, he had discovered that no-one had ever heard of ramen. He nearly had a heart-attack after hearing that the first time. Luckily, the waiter had brought him something similar to ramen. It had the same holy trinity of noodles, meat, and broth. So it was just as good in his opinion.

After thinking for a moment, the sentry had pointed in a random direction. "If you head that way, there are many eating establishments. I'm sure one of them has what you desire…"

Giving the soldier a nod of gratitude, the hungry sage prepared to depart. That was until he felt a stiff hand on his shoulder. Turning back around, he saw the guard still had something to say.

"Sorry, but I had a question of my own. Have you ever thought about joining the guard? I can tell that you've seen some combat by the way you carry yourself. We could always use the experience." Unbeknownst to the man, Naruto was having thoughts of his own.

"_Yeah… I have 'experience' all right. I know I said that I'd protect Ionia, but I was hoping not to do it so soon…" _Giving the would-be recruiter a forced smile, he turned down the offer. "Heh… No thanks, I'm kind of new to this land and…"

Putting his hand up, the older man cut Naruto off. "Say no more sir. However if you change your mind, you can find our barracks just past the Shojin Monastery." Giving him once last nod, the guard returned back to his post.

Interested in what he had just heard, Naruto continued on towards his previous goal. "_Shojin monastery huh? That sounds interesting… Imma go check that out after I load up on ramen!" _

"_**NOOOO! You can't go! Monasteries are evil!" **_The jinchuriki came to a halt as he heard Chōmei's shrill cry ring through his head. Shaking away the impending headache, the blonde spoke to the bug.

"_What are you talking about Chōmei? I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the monastery. Aren't they places where priests and stuff hang out?" _He'd never been in one himself. The closest he came was on the mission to _Oni no Kuni_.

"_**Exactly! The priest draws you in with their deceitful words. Once they have you enraptured with their lies, they strike! The next thing you know, you're being sacrificed to whatever malevolent deity they worship! If we do go however, be sure to engage in some recreational homicide!" **_

"_I'm sure we'll be fine…"_

The beetle wasn't finished however, "_**That's what they WANT you to think! Don't come begging us for chakra when…!" **_As it continued its rambling, Naruto began wondering what kind of noddle dish he was going to have today.

"_Hmm… should I get beef or shrimp this time? I haven't had pork in a while, I'm thinkin it's a pork day…"_

"_**Go with pork this time, you've had beef about three times now." **_

"_Really? Thanks Kokuō, I didn't even notice, I…"_

"_**H-Hey don't ignore me! I'm trying to save your life here!" **_The Nanabi buzzed its massive wings in irritation at its containers behavior.

Entering the restaurant, the sage quickly ordered with barely a glance at the menu he was given. Looking around, he saw a few customers with the same patterned armor as the guard who had directed him here. The white and red design of the armor shined in the morning sun as its wearers continued their conversations'.

Smelling his food before it was placed before him, Naruto chose to focus on more important things. As the waitress set the bowl of steaming noodles down, the ramen fanatic grabbed her sleeve.

"Keep em' coming! I don't care which flavor it is." Which a nervous nod of her head, the young lady made her way back to the kitchen. Watching her leave, he refocused his energy on the meal before him. Right before he could break his sticks however, he heard a familiar voice.

"Ah-hah! I see we meet again newcomer. Do you mind if we sit here?" Not waiting for an answer, two people sat on both sides of the annoyed blonde. Looking to his left, he saw the same sentry who had directed him to his little slice of heaven. Shrugging his shoulders, the blonde proceeded to devour his ramen.

As they settled in their seats, the female of the pair talked to her companion. "Do you know this guy Zelos? I've never seen him before."

"Naw, he asked me for directions earlier. He's new to the Placidium." Nodding at her brother's explanation, Irelia tried to introduce herself to the man next to her. Unfortunately, he seemed to be lost in his own little world as he was blatantly ignoring her prodding.

"_How rude! The least he could do is acknowledge my presence."_ Watching in disgust as the man practically inhaled the noodles, she scooted away from him. "_I've never seen someone eat so fast… not even Zelos is that nasty."_

Drinking the last of the broth, Naruto slammed the bowl down on the polished wood counter. With a content sigh, he stared into the distance as he calmed from his high. Remembering that he had guests, he wiped his mouth and turned to the female that had been poking him.

"You say something lady?" Finally taking in her appearance, he noticed that she looked similar to the guy on his opposite side. They both had the same jet black hair and dark green eyes. "_Maybe their siblings or something?"_

Biting the inside of her cheek, Irelia gave the blonde a forced smile. "Yes, I was trying to introduce myself. My name is Irelia, I don't remember my brother telling me yours."

"Huh? Your brother?" Filling a poke on his left side, he turned to see the man in question. "That would be me! The name is Zelos, nice to meet cha'!" Sticking his hand out, Naruto accepted the gesture and shook it. Grinning at the man's happy attitude, he also gave his name. "The name's Naruto, remember it! So… you guys are siblings? You act pretty different."

Laughing as he saw his younger sister roll her eyes, Zelos released the hand he was offered. "Yeah, Irie has always been a stick in the mud!" As they both shared a chuckle at her expense, Irelia gave them a huff and turned her back to them.

"Anyways, you think about what I said earlier? From the way you're dressed, you look like you're from one of the local sword schools. If that's the case, you'd fit right in." Though he wouldn't say it to the guys face, he didn't know what kind of warrior went around dressed in such a vibrant color. He either wore that because he was incredibly strong or incredibly stupid.

"Actually, I've never been really good at kenjutsu. I'm more of a hand-to-hand kinda guy, y'know?" Hearing another bowl placed in front of him, the blonde immediately went back to eating.

"_Ken-jutsu? Is that some sort of sword style?" _Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer while the man was eating, Zelos decided to order his own food. On the other end of the bar, his sister was having similar thoughts. "_I've never heard of such a style, which is odd considering the number of schools in this city alone. Perhaps I'll ask father later…"_

Besides the sound of him slurping, silence fell over the group. Finishing his rice, Zelos looked over to see the man in orange slam down his third bowl. "You must have been really hungry to eat all of that." Licking the left over broth, Naruto looked at the guard with a clueless look. "Uhh… Not really, I always eat this much."

The siblings both had a look of amazement on their faces at the statement._ "How does he maintain such fit standards then?"_ Shaking out of his stupor, Zelos went back to their previous conversation. "So you said you were good at martial arts right? You must come from the local monastery then?"

"Naw, I had some… private teachers from another land. I actually wanted to visit the Shijin Monastery!" With an irritated huff, Irelia corrected his mistake. "It's Shojin. I know you lack manners, but you should _at least _try to gets names correct. Otherwise, people might think you're not only rude, but a fool as well." Turning to stare at her, the two locked in a silent battle of wills. Looking deeper into the blonde's eyes, Irelia saw something that unnerved her. Diverting them away, she noticed Naruto frown at her.

"Look, no offense or anything… but did I do something wrong? Or are you naturally this bitchy?" He was already pissed about her constant poking during his 'ramen time'. But her attitude was pushing it.

The other patrons quieted down as they saw some random guy get into an argument with a member of the guard. Zelos just dropped his head as he knew what was coming next. Irelia wasn't one to take disrespect so lightly, after all.

Standing from her seat, the woman took a deep breath before responding. "Excuse me? Do you want to repeat that?" "_To insult me in such a way… He __**must **__be more of a fool than I initially thought."_

Nodding his head, Naruto also stood from his seat and stood directly in front of her. "You heard what I said. If you have a problem with me, don't be shy about it." Hearing her brother slap his hand on his head, the sage stayed concentrated on the woman before him.

"_**Idiot! The goal is to get them into bed with you… not to fight them!"**_

Ignoring the tanuki, Naruto continued his stand-off. Some diners could be heard commenting on how stupid the blonde was. Others were placing bets on the inevitable fight. Standing up to diffuse the situation, Zelos stood in between the would-be combatants. "That's enough. Look Irie, why don't you… ".

Before he could finish however, he felt the blonde behind him place a firm hand on his shoulder. "No, your sister has a problem with me, I want to find out what it is." Hearing what he said, Irelia also spoke up, "About that, if you will… we should take this outside Naruto. I'm sure we can have a more productive conversation there." Turning towards the exit, Irelia started to make her way outside.

Nodding his head, the orange-garbed man followed her out of the establishment. As they left, multiple people slammed some money on the table and followed them. The crowd started to grow as they stood before a small platform that was used for public displays. Watching as the two made their way up the stairs, the crowd waited in anticipation.

Stopping on the other end of the stage, Irelia turned to her opponent. "I believe this is a suitable place to settle our argument, don't you agree?" Though she strove to always keep a level-head and use violence as a last resort. The man before got under her skin in a way no one ever done before. Ionians were known to be respectful and most had a mild-mannered temperament. Apparently this guy was one of the few who needed to be taught that.

Nodding his head in agreement, the sage watched as the crowd around them grew. Even some of the patrolling guards came to see what all the fuss was about. "Yeah, this is good a spot as any." It didn't show on his face, but he was getting kind of nervous by the number of guards that were showing up. "_Hopefully I don't get arrested for this…"_

"_**A little too late for that now. Just don't get your ass kicked too hard boy, hehehe…" **_Although he knew the chances of Naruto losing were non-existent, the situation still amused him.

"_Typical bastard fox…" _Taking the stance he was thought by the toads, the blonde waited for his opponent to attack. The reason he wanted to fight her was simple in his mind. It went back to something he remembered back when he was still in team 7.

"_If you wish to know someone, then you talk with your hands. People can lie all they want with their words. But when comes to truly understanding someone, this is the only way!" _

Unknown to either combatant, Lito was in the crowd. Having come to town to eat lunch with his children, he was slightly surprised to see his youngest in a fight with someone. "_It is unlike Irelia to settle her matters with violence. I wonder what triggered this confrontation." _Despite his advanced age, the blade-master gracefully made his way through the crowd.

Back on the stage, Irelia had finished taking off the outer portions of her armor. Now left in only a pair of grey pants and a matching tank-top, she slide into her own stance. Looking at her opponent, she took note of his strange stance. His feet were slightly wide of his shoulders, and his knees were bent at an odd angle. His arms remained in front of him, anticipating her attack.

"_I better not disappoint him then!" _Shooting forward at remarkable speeds_, _Irelia struck with a high kick toward the side of his head. Raising his forearm to block, Naruto was caught off-guard as she pulled her leg back in at the last at the last second. Completing her spinning motion, Irelia aimed a strike at Naruto's exposed chest.

Letting her score a hit, the sage snatched her wrist before she could pull away. In an attempt to get free, she shot her other hand towards his nose in an open-palm strike. Shifting his head to avoid the strike, the blonde advanced into her guard. With both arms preoccupied, she expected him to take advantage of her defenseless state. To her and the crowds surprise however, he merely seized her arm and threw her back the way she came.

Quickly rising back into her stance, she gave her opponent a more critical look. "I underestimated you… that won't happen again."

On the other end, Naruto just gave her a nonchalant shrug and slipped back into the _Kawazu Kumite._ "Don't worry about it, it actually happens a lot!"

Taking the time to study her apparently unharmed foe, she went over what just happened. "_I know I got a solid hit in on him… but he just stood there and took it! Did he even register my strike?" _Although her specialty was swords, Irelia thought her hand-to-hand to be above average. She knew she could hit hard enough to make her brother recoil, at least.

Slowing things down a bit, Irelia shot towards Naruto once more. This time however, she just struck with a flurry of well-placed punches. Taking note on how he either redirected or blocked every one of her blows. Deciding to incorporate _Hiten _into her style, she purposely overextended on her last strike. Watching him take the bait, she moved in motion with his attack. Gritting her teeth as a particular strong palm-thrust struck her shoulder. Irelia ignored the pain and used the momentum to shoot a devastating knee to her opponent's abdomen.

Feeling as some of the air left his lungs, Naruto cursed as he was now partially bent over Irelia's knee. In an effort to finish the fight, the woman smashed her elbow on the back of his head. Feeling her hit connect, she had to hold back a grunt as her elbow stung from the hardness. Jumping back, she saw her opponent hit the ground in a heap. Releasing the breath she had been holding, she relaxed her stance, thinking victory was hers.

In the crowd, Lito brushed his hand through his beard as he observed what his daughter actually did in the last exchange. "_Using the principles of equilibrium__in such a way… You continue to impress me Irelia. However, you've let your guard down far too soon. I'm afraid your opponent has been holding back, how much though, remains to be seen."_

True to his word, Naruto stood back up without any problems. Rolling his neck, he looked up into Irelia's shocked visage. "Taking my hit just to try and knock me out. Even I have to admit that was pretty ballsy! But I think it's time I end this." Looking offended by what he was implying, Irelia retook her stance with a snarl on her face. "Don't look down on me just because you can take a beating!"

Confusion washing across his face, Naruto raised an eyebrow at her sudden anger. "I wasn't trying to call you weak or anything. I actually think you're really good… had things been different, you likely would have beaten me long ago!" Taken aback at his compliment, Irelia had to wonder at what he meant. "_If what were different? Is he hiding something?"_

Before she continued her thoughts, Naruto launched towards her. Taking the offensive this time, he attacked her with a multitude of palm strikes. "_It doesn't really matter if she blocks. Sooner or later, her arms will be too hurt to do much of anything." _As stated, Irelia moved on to trying to dodge instead of block. Unfortunately for her however, the sage was also far more agile.

With a burst of speed he jumped straight into her guard. Raising her arms on instinct, Irelia let out a cry of pain as another one of Naruto's blows struck her. Momentarily stunned, there was little she could do as he landed a strike right in her diaphragm. As she was sent flying to the other side, Irelia could feel the oxygen rush from her lungs. Landing at the other end of the stage, she heaved as she desperately tried to take in air.

The crowd remained silent as they watched a member of the Ionian guard get taken down in a matter of minutes. The only thing that could be heard was said guard coughing as she tried to breath. Looking at his downed opponent, Naruto felt that _maybe_ he had went a little too far. "_Shit! I didn't mean to hit her that hard! I tried to stop the flow of my chakra as much as possible. This match was already unfair from the beginning…"_

Struggling to get to her feet, Irelia fell back to her knees as she attempted to stand. Stopping right in front of her, he gave her a concerned look, "Hey, maybe we should stop this? You don't look so good." Finally making her way to her feet, she gave him a defiant look. "T-this isn't _*cough* _over yet Naru…" Collapsing in a fit of raspy coughs, he caught her before she could hit the ground.

"_She sure doesn't know when to give up…" _he mused as the woman in his arms gradually recovered. Hearing the sound of his resident kitsune snort, he raised an eyebrow. "_What? It's true… I downed her in one hit and she still wants to fight."_

"_**It's not that. It's what you said before! Doesn't that remind you of someone else you know? That annoying quality that makes someone keep going, even though their hopelessly outmatched?"**_ The fox rolled his eyes as he could almost _hear_ his container think about who he was referring to.

"_**Fool! I was talking about you!"**_ How this idiot got this far in life was still a mystery to the Kyūbi. He wasn't _as _oblivious as people made him out to be. However, he was still denser than the shell on Isobu's back.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you Irie?" Naruto glanced upward as he saw Zelos walking towards them. "You need help? Or do you wanna stayed cuddled up with Naruto here?" Instead of the flustered response he was hoping to get, his sister merely narrowed her eyes at him. Before she could speak however, another voice interrupted them.

"Zelos, Irelia… aren't you two supposed to be on duty right now?" The siblings both froze at the deep, wizened tone of their father. "I'm sure you both have more important matters to attend to than starting duels with strangers. I'm sure you agree?" Seeing both of his children nod, Lito watched as they returned to duty. Or in Irelia's case, hobbled over to her discarded armor.

After he was satisfied that they were both a fair distance away, the old master turned to Naruto. "You were holding back, were you not?" The man in front of him gave him a blank look. The two continued to stare into the others eye's as the crowd around them gradually dispersed. Finally, the younger of the duo turned his back and walked off the stage.

"I don't know what you're talking about, old man. Irelia left herself open, I just took advantage of that." Lito watched as the back of the young man disappeared into the crowd. Closing his eyes, he started to slowly stroke his beard as he always did.

"_He may deny it, but I saw it as clear as the sun over the horizon. The way he battered her arms until she couldn't afford to block any longer. Each of those blows were well placed and without hesitation. He knew he had far greater strength than she and he used it to his advantage. There is also the distance he sent her with that last strike."_

Opening his eyes, the elderly man glanced towards the Shojin Monastery. "_Even the few monks that spectated were shocked at that display of power. Judging by the way they studied the boy's form, he is not one of their own. I feel as though that if he willed it… my daughter would be suffering from a lot more than just wounded pride."_

* * *

"Man… That guy reminded me of Jii-san."

Making his way through the crowd, he noticed that some of the people were giving him unusual looks. Ignoring their badly hidden stares, he continued towards his destination. Looking down his current path, he took in the site of the monastery.

"Wow this is a lot bigger up close! They must have an army of fighters in here, maybe they can teach me some badass tiger kick."

"From what I saw we might not have much to teach you, young one…"

Turning to see who was talking to him, he took in the form of an older man. He was bald, but had a long grey beard that seem to be common with the older populace. He was also of a larger build, but it would be a mistake to doubt that his bulging stomach was anything but muscle.

Laughing nervously, he began to scratch the back of his head. "I don't know what you mean old man, those were just some moves that I picked up in my travels. It's like I told the other guy, she just has really bad defense."

Shaking his head in disagreement, the elder gave him an appraising look. "I can say with confidence that Lito has been a master of the blade and an adept martial artists since before you were conceived. I doubt he would have approached you if he thought you were lacking."

Scratching his chin, Naruto tried to think of an excuse that would appease the older man. "Maybe he was mad because I kicked his daughter's ass?"

"Such emotions are below a man of Lito's experience. I'm sure he was more interested in your fighting stance. Even I have never seen such movements, and I've must spend almost my entire life dedicated to learning all the martial arts Ionia has to offer."

The boy before him gave a contemplative look as he thought about what to say next.

"So you said you've been learning fighting styles all your life right, uhhh…?" It is at this point he remembered that he didn't even know the older man's name. Catching on, the man extended his hand and introduced himself.

"Apologies, you may call me Gouken. And your name is?"

"Uzu… I mean, Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." Shaking the outstretched hand, the sage had to hold back a cringe at the strength of Gouken's grip.

"Yes, it is as I have said. I have seen and practiced every stance known in Ionia, or, at least I thought I did. Have you come to seek instruction from the monastery?"

Gouken hoped it was so, for he was interested in the boy's unique style. The movements were almost the same as some of the more defensive styles he knew. However, from what he had seen, the boy had been holding back immensely. He was curious as to what his true capabilities were.

"Well, to be honest I'm kind of on a trip around all of Ionia. Since this place is at the center of the island, I thought it might be a good place to start."

"Ahh, I see now... I had thought that you were a native here. That explains why I've never seen your style before. Very well then, let's make our way inside, we shall talk more there."

* * *

Back in the barracks, Irelia sighed as she examined where she had been hit. Even now she could feel the throbs of pain were Naruto had struck her. Examining her arms, there were multiple purple marks that had formed. Wincing as she pulled her shirt up, she blanched at the sizable bruise that greeted her.

"_Where did I go wrong? We were even throughout most of the match. Then he started attacking with such force! How much was he holding back? I as if he was toying with me the whole match… How embarrassing."_

Pulling her shirt back down, she grunted as she put the top piece of her armor back on. Carefully adjusting the straps so they didn't press to hard, she made her way out of the guard barracks. Preparing to return back to her post, she was surprised to see her father waiting for her.

"Guessing by your appearance, I take it you are well?" Seeing the stern look on her father's face, she knew he wasn't only there to check up on her.

"I'll have to see the medic later to make sure the bruising doesn't get too bad. Besides that the only thing truly hurting right now is my honor." Clenching her fist, she still couldn't understand how she was defeated so easily.

"As it should be. You entered into a fight with a man whose abilities were unknown to you. Such actions are not like you… What did he do to draw your ire?" Whatever it may have been, it must have been pretty significant to have pushed her to violence.

Averting her eyes, a look of embarrassment crossed her features. "A-Actually father, we kind of got into an argument while we were eating lunch. I had barely met him and he was being so rude and immature! I know it is unbecoming, but I couldn't let such disrespect go unchallenged. If he had merely apologized, then I'm sure we would not have come to blows."

Shaking his head in disappointment, Lito stare directly into his daughter's green eyes.

"Irelia… Pride is a great thing, however it is also been the downfall of many great men throughout history. While it may be true that that young man was being disrespectful to you, you shouldn't have dropped to his level. Otherwise, it matters not what the feud was over… he's already beaten you mentally. I don't know who he is, but that boy…"

Shaking his head as he corrected himself, he continued, "… No, man. He was far above your level, at least in hand-to-hand combat. Although his specific style was a mystery to me, I have no doubt that he could've ruptured your organs with that jab."

A horrified look overcame her face_._ Her hand absentmindedly made its way to her stomach.

"_Was I truly that outclassed?! I had thought that he was just some street punk who was trying to pick a fight with the guard…" _Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Lito had come up and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Remember, my child. Only a fool heads into the darkness without a light to guide the way. That being said, would you mind accompanying an old man? I have yet to eat, and has been some time since I've had a meal with my daughter."

Refocusing, she looked up to notice her father smiling face. Letting a small grin graced her lips, she nodded as they began their trek back into the city.

* * *

"So tell me what you mean by inner healing? Are we talking small cuts and stuff, or are you guys' immortal or something? Cause if you are, sign me up!"

Chuckling at the young man's enthusiasm, Gouken shook his head in amusement. They had been walking around the halls of the monastery for some time now. He had been explaining just what they did within these halls. Stepping into the interior garden, the older man pointed to some of the monks training there.

Some were slowly going through movements such as punches and intricate kicks. Others were merely sitting in meditation. What truly drew his attention however, were the men who were sitting on sharpened sticks of bamboo.

"There is no such thing as true immortality. All things must perish, whether it be the mind or the body. What we do here Naruto, is train our bodies to be as resilient as our minds. To make one's bones as strong as iron, to be able to withstand the assault of over 100 men! All of this is possible through rigorous training."

"_**Hmm… It seems that even without chakra the humans here are able to be as tough as your Sage mode. Perhaps you should stay here for a while and see what they have to offer. Then you can stop leeching off our chakra so much."**_

Rolling his eyes at what his tenant said, the whiskered blonde absentmindedly nodded his head as Gouken continued explaining their training methods.

"_What you mean leech off your chakra? Don't I have an infinite supply? Added with the chakra Hagoromo Oji-san gave us, I don't think I'll ever have to really worry about chakra."_

"_**That is true, with the amount of chakra you have, the possibility of you actually running out are minimal. However, you can only channel a finite amount at one time."**_

Raising his eyebrows confusion, he continued to follow Gouken as he showed them the different rooms of the monastery.

"_What you talking about? I've never had problems using your chakra, besides the whole burning me from the inside out thing. That shit hurts…"_

Deciding to reply before Kurama could get irritated, Gyuki decided to take the reins on this issue.

"_**What he means to say is, while you do indeed have an almost infinite amount of chakra. You waste tremendous amounts of it. Therefore, you're only able to use what you are not outright wasting."**_

"_What do you mean I'm wasting it? Is there a better way to be kicking ass?"_

Hearing Shukaku huff within his head, he braced himself for whatever smart remark was coming his way.

"_**No dumbass, that's not what he's talking about. You know when you go all bright and shit? Yeah, you're actually wasting shit tons of OUR chakra."**_

"_I thought that the chakra was acting as sort of shield, or something like that…"_

"_**Goddammit… I forgot how stupid you could be. No, that's what the natural energy is supposed to do! It drastically increases your body's durability. The only thing you're accomplishing is looking like a lightbulb at a cheap strip joint." **_

Halting in his tracks, Gouken turned his head over his shoulder and noticed that his guest had stopped. Turning to face him, he raised an eyebrow as he examined the blank look on his visitor's face. Walking back towards him, he laid a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. Jumping at the sudden impact, he looked up to see his host giving him a worried look.

"Everything all right my boy? You just suddenly started staring blankly into nothingness. Is this too much for you to take in at once?" He hoped not, they had barely gone over a third of the entire monastery.

Giving a nervous chuckle, Naruto straightened himself out and gave his host a serious look.

"If I understand it right… to do which you guys do, you guys have to channel your physical energy to protect your bodies right?" It was still a strange concept to him, only being able to use one half of chakra.

Stroking his beard in contemplation, Gouken gave a slow nod at his guest's hypothesis. "Although very crude, what you said is indeed correct. By channeling our inner will, we are able to affect our physical state in amazing ways. However, it takes most years of dedicated training to reach that state. I feel we won't have a problem with you though, should you wish to study under us."

"So it's cool if I stay here and train which you guys for a while?"

"Indeed, the only thing I ask of you is your dedication and a spar every once in a while. The style you used against Lito's daughter intrigues me. I would like to see it in action firsthand."

Nodding his head, he agreed to the old man's terms. As they stood in the hallway, they turned to the sound of footsteps approaching them. The man that walked up to them gave a bow and stood before Gouken. His eyes flashing in recognition, the elder placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Naruto, I would like you to meet one of our most dedicated students, Lee Sin. He has only been here for a few years, and yet, he is already an adept in our art."

Looking at the man, he took note of his appearance. Lee Sin had strange tattoos running across his body, and his hair was braided into a single long ponytail. Looking into the man's dark eyes, they stared at each other for a moment. Before it could turn awkward, Naruto extended his hand.

"Yo, the name's Naruto! Guess will be training together for a while huh?"

Chuckling at his informal greeting, the monk accepted his handshake.

"Greetings, as Master Gouken said, my name is Lee Sin. I hope that you gather much knowledge while you are here. Forgive me, but I must be going." Having said his piece, the monk disappeared down one of the many hallways.

"Geez… somebodies in a rush."

"Do not fret, you can converse with him more another time. Lee is one of our more… interesting students. Now, let us continue were we left off."

Nodding his head, the pair continued their walk around the rest of the monastery.

* * *

"_I learned a lot there, but damn was that a boring two months!"_

Walking down a path that led away from the mountain he just climbed down, Naruto continued his trip towards the Placidium. The sun hung high, but he still had a long way to go at the pace he was going.

"_**Complain all you want. To deny the results of those two months would be even more foolish than you usually are." **_Indeed, the monks at Shojin had been astonished when he had shown them just how much 'Ki' he had within him. After explaining that he wasn't exactly from Ionia, the monks had grown to accept him as one of their own.

Even Lee Sin, who usually was quite aloof and preferred to be alone. Naruto had thought he was just being an asshole until Gouken had told him what led the man to the monastery in the first place. After what he had learned, he felt he could relate to the monk on a personal level.

Besides getting to know the inhabitants of the monastery, the first two months of his 'trip' were pretty mundane. He would wake up, run through numerous exercises throughout the day, and then venture around the Placidium until he felt tired enough.

He had ran into Irelia a couple dozen of times while on his walks around the town. She had been wary of him the first time they met after the fight. Feeling a little guilty for hitting her so hard, he apologized for the starting the whole conflict. Irelia had been surprised at the gesture, and even more when he asked if he could make it up to her by buying her lunch.

After that, he had started to look forward to seeing her every day. Most of their time spent together was her showing him the different sections of the city. If they weren't doing that, then they would have mock fights on her time off. A month after their initial meeting, it wasn't uncommon to see the two eating together. Though Irelia would still chastise Naruto for his eating habits.

Things had been going quite well until the rest of her family had shown up one day. Zelos had given him a knowing smirk and a thumbs up for whatever reason. Lito on the other hand, had given him a stern look and asked him what his intentions for Irelia were. He would have been intimidated if the older man wasn't leaning on his cane so much.

Deciding that it was better to let them have a little family time, he headed back to the monastery. On his way out however, he heard Zelos ask his little sister, "What Irie, No kiss goodbye?" After that comment, he heard what he guessed was the old man's cane hitting his son on the back of the head.

"_I wonder how their doing."_

"_**You will be able to see them soon, seeing as they reside at your final destination. Then you can tell them all about your trip through Ionia."**_

"_**Thank You Captain Obvious! Like none of us would'na figured that out if you didn't tell us! I liked you more a coupla months ago."**_

Kokuō gave the tanuki a confused look as he thought about his statement. "_**Shukaku, I rarely talked until recently, wha…" **_He was abruptly interrupted by the sand raccoon slamming his massive paws together.

"_**EXACTLY! When you didn't say shit, you were A LOT more tolerable!"**_

"_**I see… then perhaps I should show you your place, sand rat."**_

"_**DA FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME YOU DONKEY SONUVA BITCH?!"**_

"_**Need I remind you that we have the same creator?"**_

"_Oi! Keep it down in there!"_

"_**And You!"**_

"_What about me? What did I do this time?"_ It seemed as though Shukaku always had something to complain about.

"_**As usual, it's what you DIDN'T do. With the way you hit if off which that chick, I'm honestly surprised you didn't give her a ticket!"**_

"_A ticket to where? I haven't seen any type of transport in Ionia except for horses…"_

"_**Idiot… I'm talking about a ticket to Pound Town! I mean, did you see her? I'm surprised your girl wasn't a baker, because she definitely had some cakes on her!"**_

"_Please be quiet…" _

Deciding to ignore his tenant before he got _another_ headache. Naruto continued his steady pace down the dirt road he was traveling. Coming to a cross-roads, he walked on without even taking a glance at the sign. He did however, look down the other path.

'_I wonder how those two are doing. I'll have to go see them after I visit the others.' _Looking up at the setting sun, Naruto smiled as he felt a gust of wind blow past him.

* * *

"Let's see, according to the map… if you consider the pace I've been traveling… I think I passed that mountain? The Hirana Monastery should be just past this next valley, or at least it should be…" Scratching his head in frustration, the blonde squinted his eyes as if trying to discern some hidden pattern on the map.

'_Fuck this… I'll just ask for directions in the next town."_ Rolling the map back up and stuffing it somewhere in his robes, he continued towards the town.

"_**Perhaps it would have been wise to ask for directions in the last village?" **_Grumbling at the Hachibi's words', Naruto stuffed his hands in the sleeves of the grey robes he was currently wearing.

"_Damn things don't even have any pockets! They are pretty breezy though… I wish they came in orange."_

"_**Tentacles is right kid! I'm sure that hot MILF would'na minded giving you 'directions'." **_Shivering at the memory of the women that Shukaku was referring to, Naruto could feel his face heat up. _"It's bad enough she was being so forward about what see wanted… but it's even worse that she reminded me of Tsunami!"_

Besides the fact that Shio's hair was brown and she had a daughter, the similarities between her and Tsunami were frightening. They _both_ had a motherly feel about them and exuded an aura of kindness. They _both_ took care of their child and parent at the same time. They even lived near a body of water!

"_**It was a river… hardly the same as an ocean." **_Snorting at Kurama's remark he continued comparing the 'Ionian version' of Tsunami to the real one. _"Yeah?! Well that shit was pretty big to be 'just' a river! Her husband was even dead! You can't tell me that this isn't creeping you out in the least?" _

Shaking his head rapidly, the blonde frowned as he thought about the only thing that really separated the two. While Tsunami was pleasant and seemed to be a woman of conservative values, the same couldn't be said of Shio. Sure she _dressed _like Tsunami, but that didn't stop her from pressing up against him every chance she got. There were also her many 'accidents' were she would fall on top of him and rub her breasts in his face.

"_**Look kid, I'll give ya the benefit of the doubt. Rabbit-Bitch, while likely packing a bangin body under that curtain she wore. Would 'a just fried your brain with her eye and milked you dry. Hell, I'll even give ya pass on the star babe, there is always next time… But come on! That lady was literally throwing herself at you!"**_

He just couldn't understand his current containers thought process. Wasn't he at the age where he supposed to be looking for an orgy at every corner? Wasn't his Sensei one of the most infamous perverts ever known? _**"Maybe things were better with Gaara after all… at least he was interested in that one chick."**_

"_Look here motherfucker…"_

"_**Heh… jokes on you! I never had a mother you jackass!" **_Cackling as he could feel the blondes anger over their mental connection, the sand raccoon decided to push it a little further.

"_**That's it! Cry more! Your rage feeds me! Hahahaha… GAH!" **_The other biju looked on in surprise as Shukaku was pinned down by large wooden beams.

"_**The fuck is this shit?!Oi, let me go you blonde flamer!" **_With his arms, legs, and even tail locked in place by the wooden arches. The only thing the tanuki could move was his mouth. _**"No wonder you chased after your precious Sasgay so much! You didn't wanna save him for that bubblegum princess! You wanted him for yourself, didn't you? I bet you wanted to tear that Uchiha ass up! You… mmmpppff!"**_

Although he couldn't form them in the physical world, creating his mother's signature chains in his mind was another matter entirely. The chains had shot out under Shukaku's mouth and proceeded to continuously wrap around it until they anchored themselves in the ground.

"_**Finally! We get a break from his incessant rambling! On behalf of us all, I thank you." **_Surprisingly, this came from Kokuō, who was usually quite passive. One of the more quite biju, the dolphin-headed horse had really began to open up. _**"I am curious though… as much as I loath to admit, Shukaku has a point. The female obviously desired to mate with you. Don't you humans usually seek out the opposite sex for such activities?" **_Yep, opening up indeed.

Sighing as he stopped to calm himself down, the blonde smacked his forehead as he heard the Gobi's question. _"Look… Shio was hot and all, but when you have her mother glaring at you with a cleaver in hand, that shit is a real boner killer. Not to mention her daughter asking me if I was going to be her 'new daddy'. I kinda felt sorry for Shio, but c'mon!"_

While he continued to explain himself, Naruto hadn't noticed that he had entered the town and was now weaving through the crowds. So deep in his thoughts, he didn't even notice when he slide right in between two sword wielding men.

The sage turned monk was pulled from his thoughts as he felt a tug on his shirt. Coming to an immediate stop, the blonde blinked as he finally took in his surroundings. Turning around, he saw who had returned him to reality. Before him stood two swordsmen.

"Hey buddy, I don't know where you're from… but around here we speak when we almost walk straight into someone." The man who spoke looked to be around his age if not younger. He wore blue robes with an orange rope tied around his waist. The other man who stood to his left wore the same uniform. Upon closer inspection, Naruto noticed that both men looked almost exactly like the other. The only thing that told them apart was their hair style.

The guy who _still _held onto his robe had his hair tied into a high ponytail. The other merely had his cut short. _"They must be brothers, but why are they wearing the same thing?" _The brother with the shorter hair reached out and removed the hand still gripping him. Giving him an apologetic smile, he gave him a small bow.

"Please forgive my brother, what he meant to say is, please watch where you going next time." Looking over the stranger's attire, the swordsman raised an eyebrow. _"Those robes… is he from the monastery up north?" _Refocusing, he looked back up to the blondes whiskers as he gave them a sheepish look.

"My bad, I was just thinking about how to get to the Hirana Monastery. I guess I wasn't looking where I going, sorry." Giving the duo one last smile, Naruto prepared to turn the other way before he felt _another _hand on his shoulder. Biting his lip, he slowly turned his head back to the brothers.

"Apologies, but did you say you were looking for the Hirana Monastery? I had assumed that you were from there, judging by your outfit." Looking down at his clothes, Naruto shrugged his shoulders' and looked back up into the man's eyes.

"No, these are from the Shojin monastery, I'm… a traveler of sorts and decided to pay Hirana a visit next. You wouldn't happen to know how to get there would you?" The brother's turned and looked at each other before staring back at him.

"Heh… you really must not be from around here. All you have to do is head north out the other side of town and keep to the roads. There're signs that will lead you straight there."

"Oh… well uhh... I was just making sure I was headed the right way! Yeah… anyway, the name is Naruto!" Thrusting his hand out, he gave the two a cheesy grin as he introduced himself.

Clearing his throat, the brother on the left shook his hand as he looked at his sibling to do the same. "My name is Yone, and this is my brother…"

"Yasuo… Don't we have a class to get back to?" Yone sighed as he shook his head at his brother's rudeness. "Yes… Yes we do. It was nice meeting you Naruto. I hope you find what you seek once you reach Hirana, farewell."

"Wait! You said something about a class. What do you guys learn? Is it some kind of sword style?" He had noticed that a considerable amount of people that had passed them on the road wore a blade of some sort.

"_This guy… Is starting to become annoying." _

Ignoring the irritated look on his brother's face, Yone turned to answer the traveler. "I would be surprised that you've never heard of our school if I didn't know that you weren't from around here. Our style is known for using our will to manipulate the wind. Yasuo here is actually the star pupil."

"_How can they use Futon jutsu when they have no chakra? He said Ki… Gouken said that was their physical energy right?"_

"_**You'd be better off forgetting the principles of chakra as it applies to these people. They may not be able to use it, but it seems they don't need to. Different world, different rules I guess."**_

"Hey, you wouldn't mind if watched one of your lessons would you?"

Looking somewhat surprised at the request, Yone shut his eyes as he contemplated his answer. "Hmm… I don't see why not. Many people come to see us practice our better hurry though, our master hates tardiness." With a nod, the group of three silently headed towards the school.

"_Y'know, I don't even think the samurai from Tetsu no Kuni could use elements in their attacks. They were all about just firing chakra blades and stuff. I wonder what these people can do…" _He had been thinking about what Kurama had said and it made him wonder. If the denizens of Runeterra could do things like shape the wind without chakra, what else were they capable of?

Finally reaching their destination, the group dispersed as the brothers went to rejoin the rest of their class. Now alone, Naruto began to look around the academy and noticed just how large it actually was. Though they were still outside, the main structure was still impressive.

"_This place must be pretty badass if it takes up this much of the town." _

Turning his attention back to the class, he saw the instructor making his way towards him. "It's a rare occasion to see a disciple from Shojin make his way here."

"Well to be honest, I got lost on my way Hirana and stopped here for directions." Seeing the beginnings of a frown on the master's face, he continued, "…B-But Yone told me of your school and the way you guys can use the wind! I thought I'd come by and see for myself."

Looking over his shoulder at his student, the master saw him nod his affirmation. "I see… It is surprising that you came here without knowing just where you are. I don't know if you were told, but this is the most revered academy for swordsmanship this side of Ionia! This isn't just _a_ school boy! This is _the _school! Generations of renowned, nay… _Legendary_ masters of the blade began here in these very halls!" Catching his breath as he ended his rant, the master cleared his throat.

"You say that you've come to see my disciples in action, however, that is impossible!" Seeing the confused look on his guest's face, he finished. "One cannot _gaze_ uponthe wind… they can only _feel _as it flows around them! And by then, it is far too late for the adversary to retaliate… for how can one defend against a weapon they cannot _see_?" The dojo remained silent as everyone was focused solely on the master's speech. Turning his back to the blonde, he started to walk back towards his class.

"With that being said, I will not allow you to watch my students." Smirking as he imagined the frown that had no doubt formed on the younger man's face, he stopped his gait. Now surrounded by his students, the old man turned back to his guest. "However, that doesn't mean I won't allow to experience it for yourself! I find myself curious to see how a monk of Shojin fares against one of my own."

Looking among the many faces of his class, he stopped on one his more skilled charges. "Toppū! You will be our guest's opponent!" Hearing her name, the young woman in question bowed in her master's direction. "Thank you master! I will bring honor to our school!"

As the rest of students began to make a kind of ring around them, Naruto took this time to check out his opponent. She was fairly good looking in his opinion. With her straight shoulder length brown hair and smooth facial features. It was surprising to see someone like her at a place like this. Finally making her way to the center of the makeshift 'arena', Toppū drew her two short swords from their sheaths.

"_A Tantō huh? I wonder if she'll use those like the samurai from the mountains." _Seeing that both fighters were ready, the master laid down the ground rules. "The only real rules for this bout are the obvious ones. There will be no fatal blows or maiming. With Toppū's dulled blades and our guest using only his fist, I don't expect to see any blood anyway. The match ends when a combatant surrenders or is beaten. Fight with honor… Begin!"

As soon as the word left his mouth, the brunette shot towards Naruto at surprising speeds. _"Wow! She's a lot faster than I thought! However…" _ As Toppū approached him, she began to let loose a string of quick slices towards his arms. "…_ She moves no faster than a chunin. Ten-Ten was much faster than this." _The crowd watched amazed as the monk dodged or deflected their classmate's strikes. It seemed that no matter what she did, Toppū just couldn't land a solid hit.

If she tried to dash into his guard and deliver a flurry of well-placed slices, he would merely jump back or dance around them with ease. It was the same when she would try to weave in some kicks into her combo's. He would block it with no sign of ever being hit.

After a couple more rounds of this, Toppū finally seemed to take note that her method of attack was having little effect on her opponent. Unfortunately, it did tire her out some. "_No matter what angle I try, he just keeps getting away! I will not be embarrassed in front of the whole academy!"_ Calming herself with a few deep breaths, the brunette re-took her stance and simply watched Naruto.

"_**It looks like sugar-tits finally figured out that she can't do shit against you. Why don't you just lay her out already so we can hit the road?" **_

"_For a guy that's been sealed away for like… centuries, you sure know a lot of offensive shit to say."_

"_**I'm surprised that your stupid ass even knows a word like century!"**_

"_You know I don't have to think really hard to bring those chains back out…" _Hearing silence within his head, the blonde smirked. _"That's what I thought…" _

Before he could pat himself on the back, he noticed that Toppū had finally began to make a move, or rather, her clothes did .Looking closer, he could see the standard blue uniform that all the students wore billow around her. _"She must be channeling the wind somehow! Damn, it sucks that these people don't use chakra! I can't even really sense it like I could when Asuma-sensei was teaching me."_

On the sidelines, Yasuo allowed himself a small smirk as he saw what Toppū was doing. "_It finally gets interesting huh?"_

Right next to him, his brother stood with opposing thoughts. "_She better not take it too far! I don't want to be responsible for getting him hurt!"_

As the crowd stood in suspense, a small breeze passed over the field. Taking one last breath as she prepared her next move, Toppū relaxed as she felt the wind circulate around her. "_Now the tables turn…" _Using the wind for momentum, she launched herself towards him yet again .Her blades drawn behind her back, she attempted a scissor motion towards his chest. Deciding to stay on the defensive, Naruto back stepped out of her range. He was surprised however, when he felt a tingling feeling on his skin.

Looking down, he saw the front of his robe now had a small horizontal incision in it. "_What?! I didn't think they would actually be able to sharpen the wind to such a point!"_

Trying to put more distance in between them, the blonde grunted in annoyance as Toppū followed everywhere he attempted to evade to. Every time he thought he was out of her range, a new slit would appear somewhere on his top. "_She's a lot faster than before… I better hurry up and finish this before these get shredded! Just have to catch her off guard…" _He didn't particular care for the gray robes, but they were the only article of clothing he had.

"Oi! If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask me after class!" Shaking her head at his statement, she merely settled back into her stance.

"If you think your obvious attempts at angering me are going to work, you're as stupid as your hair! Why would you dye it such a color?" She could tell she had hit a sore spot by the offended look on his face.

"I'll have you know that I was born with this color! Don't go picking on me just to distract everyone from your shitty attacks!" Crossing his arms, he turned his head away from her with a huff. "Really, with your sloppy movements, I'm shocked that you haven't hurt yourself yet!"

Giving a chuckle, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "You talk such big words, but your clothing tells a different story. The only thing you've done this 'fight' is run away. For such bravado, you sure are a coward!" Re-opening her eyes, she expected to see her opponent fuming at her. Instead, the blond was picking his ear with a disinterested look on his face.

"Huh? We're you saying something?" Flicking the material off his finger, he looked back up at her with a bored look on her face. "Are we done here, or were you going to keep flailing around? I got places to be after all, _sugar-tits." _He knew the last bit would hit a nerve.

Back on the sidelines, Yone slapped his hand on his forehead as he knew what the blond was trying to do. Yasuo on the other hand chuckled at his brother's reaction. "You know, at first I thought this guy was pretty irritating. But he's alright in my book!"

Meanwhile, Toppū had been oddly silent after the last exchange. Her expression was unreadable as her hair was masking her face. Everyone one around her could feel the murderous rage that was emanating off her form though. "Excuse me… could you please repeat that?"

Seeing Yone rapidly shake his head at him, Naruto smiled. "Well, I really didn't want to hurt you after getting a look at _the_ _goods _y'know? I thought that if I'd let you win, we could hook up later." Seeing her shake, he knew she was close. "What? Did you think you actually stood a chance? Pffttt… With how slow you move, I had to _try_ and let myself get hit!"

After hearing his explanation, Toppū nodded her head and gave him an eerily calm smile. "I see… I… just wanted to make sure that I heard you right." Taking a deep breath, she re-adjusted herself and prepared to retake the offensive. "Please die now."

Watching the match with a critical eye, the master could only sigh with heavy disappointment. He knew that out of all of the women in his academy, Toppū was the most skilled. Add to the fact that she was also the fastest, and you had one prideful lady. _"Though you are right to take such pride in such achievements, it does nothing when an opponent can so easily use it as a weapon against you, Toppū."_ Refocusing back on the match, he could hear the monks continued prodding.

"Sooo… I never got an answer before? You wanna meet up after this? I'm sure I can show you a couple more ways to handle a sword." Though he said that, it left an awful taste in his mouth. "_Damn… now I'm starting to sound like Shukaku-teme!"_

"_**You know kid, back before I wanted to do nothing more than crush you under my foot. I always had a grudging respect for that one ability you had."**_

"_Really? What ability was that?" _Kurama had never given him a direct compliment.

"_**The ability to annoy the shit out of people! It should be considered its own style of attack! Look at the way that girl is looking at you. I'm pretty sure she forgot about the whole no maiming thing." **_

Hearing the last comment, Toppū disappeared as a huge cloud of dust was kicked up behind her. Re-appearing behind the monk, she wasn't surprised when he rolled away at the last second. Dashing up to him again, she was yet again disappointed when he jumped over her attack. "_This bastard and his constant evading!"_

The crowd watched in awe as the two combatants danced around each other. The most junior of the group were amazed at just the sheer speed the two were moving at. The elder students were more interested in the technique. From the untrained eye, it would look like Toppū was merely charging Naruto over and over again in an attempt to cut him. To them however, they could see the small slices that she was making. It was a wonder that the monk didn't even seem to notice them.

Backing off for a moment, the brunette created some distance between them. "_I don't get it… I know at least a couple of my attacks have hit him? Surely he couldn't have dodged them all! I can see the cuts in his robes… how can he just stand there so nonchalant?" _Pondering how the blond before her could just shrug off his injuries, she stared at him intently.

"_I know he's a monk, but from where? He couldn't be from any of the small temples from around here… they're more pacifist than anything. He said he was headed to Hirana, so he's not from there. I think the master said something about Shojin, but I wasn't paying attention… he must be! To be able to brush my attacks off so easily!" _

On the other side of the field, Naruto still kept the bored look on his face. On the inside however, he was anticipating Toppū's next assault.

"_I feel kinda sorry for her, she's actually really good. No doubt she could give some of the others a challenge. With my skills however, I'm hardly feeling any of her cuts." _Deciding to continue the match, he beckoned his opponent with a lazy wave of his hand. "Oi, c'mon already, I wanna reach Hirana by sunset…"

Hearing her growl, he braced himself as she was once again tried to make him bleed. Deciding to push things along, he started to actually defend himself. For every missed attack, he would give her a small jab. For every cut she managed to land, he would retaliate in kind.

He was mildly surprised however when she started using the wind to extend her blades reach, if only slightly. She would come in with a few easily dodges slashes then cut where she thought were his weak spots. He noticed however, that every time she came in, the attack got stronger.

"_If I can land __**Steel Tempest**__ on him, then maybe I can use __**that**__ as an opening to finish him off from behind!"_ Feeling the wind surround her, she sheathed her blades as she readied one of the more advanced techniques of her school's style.

On the sidelines, the master felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over it, he saw Yone with a worried look upon his face. "Master, we should stop this at once! If she uses _that _move, Naruto could be seriously wounded!"

"Unlikely, the monks of Shojin are known for their ability to withstand extreme amounts of pain. From having boulders rolled on top of them to setting their own flesh aflame… whatever wound Toppū could manage to inflict, I'm sure our guest has experienced much worse. Oh… It looks like she's ready!" Yone groaned at his master's lack of concern.

"Here I go…" Dashing forward, Toppū saw the blond brace himself for her next attack. He was surprised however, when she stopped a couple of meters away from him. Grasping her blades, she jerked them out of their sheaths, releasing a torrent of wind along the way. As dust was blown into the air, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he saw Toppū disappear into the haze.

Watching in suspense, the crowed watched as Toppū re-appeared where Naruto was previously. Unleashing a vicious cross-cut, she blew away the remaining dust into the wind. A look of apprehension adorned her face as she realized that her opponent had also vanished.

"Where did he…"

"Ha! Did you really think that would work?" Whipping her head around, she felt her body go cold as she saw the blond charging her from behind.

"_How did he get behind me?!" _Willing her body to move, she realized that no matter what she did, he was approaching far too fast for her to put up any kind of defense.

Time seemed to slow down for her. She could only watch as he closed in from behind, his hands clasped together in some strange hand gesture. She could hear her classmates yelling for her to move. She could see the apprehensive look on her master's face as he looked upon her encroaching defeat.

"_Forgive me everyone…"_

"HERE COMES THE FINISHER! _**Hiden Taijutsu Ōgi!"**_

_Squish…_

"_D-Did he just?"_

"_In all my years… I've never seen such a technique!"_

Silence reigned over the field as everyone stared at the spectacle at the center of it. The class gawked as they saw Naruto with his finger poked firmly in Toppū's backside. With his arms outstretched and his head facing towards the ground, they heard him break the silence with but a whisper that was carried by the winds.

"_**Sennen Goroshi**!"_

Toppū was suddenly launched from the tip of his finger with surprising force.

"_AAAiiieeeee!"_

Releasing a mixture between a moan and a scream, she flew across the field. Still holding the same stance as before, the monk stayed silent. Meanwhile, the academy openly gawked at what they had just witnessed. The males stared in amazement at what had just transpired. The females blushed as they still couldn't believe that the blond has actually knew a move like that.

Everyone's thoughts came to a halt though as they heard someone start laughing.

"He… _Hahaha… _He j-just… _Heh… HAHAHAHA!" _Whatever Yasuo was about to say was masked as he feel to the ground in hysterical laughter. Gripping his sides, he continued to roll on the ground as he replayed what just happened in his mind.

On the other end of the field, Toppū laid on the ground. She didn't know how to feel at the moment. On one hand, she could feel the crushing weight of the humiliation that now hung over her. The pure _hate_ that she felt well up inside her. But, she also couldn't ignore the pleasant feeling in between her thighs.

She could hear Yasuo's laughter echo throughout the opening but, Toppū paid him no mind. She merely stared blankly at the sky, watching the clouds roll along. She made no visible objection when she felt her classmates help her to her feet. Feeling her legs trembling, she hung off the shoulder of one of her female classmates.

Looking into the clearing, she could see her opponent still in the same pose. She wanted to be angry with him, but found she was too tired to even bring forth the emotion. She did however, feel her cheeks flush as her eyes took in his still extended fingers. Finally gathering the strength to stand on her own, she excused herself as she disappeared behind the crowd.

Back with Naruto, he finally released his stance, a content look on his features.

"_I've been waiting for a long time to use that move… it just felt so, satisfying to use. No wonder Kakashi-sensei used it back then…"_

"_**But doesn't it make you wonder?"**_

"_Does what make me wonder?"_

"_**Didn't you ever notice that Hatake never used that 'technique' against Sakura, or any other female for that matter?"**_

"_Well, it was never meant to be a serious move… I can count on one hand how many times he used it. And Sakura-Chan was a girl. Sennin Goroshi at its core is just a massive… butt… poke… shit."_

"_**Yep, shit is right…"**_

"Excuse me my boy."

Turning around and plastering a smile on his face, Naruto decided the best plan of action now was to act as innocent as possible.

"Yes…"

"I wasn't aware that the monks of the Shojin monastery used such… unique moves."

Adopting a serious look upon his face, he crossed his arms across his chest as he prepared to explain himself. "Well to be honest, it's one of our more uh… secret techniques. Most people aren't expecting such an attack, which makes it's so… deadly. The umm… strike focuses a precise amount of force to… disable the opponent… yeah."

"I see…" Nodding to himself, the older man began to rub his chin in contemplation. "At first I thought you may be a member of the Kinkou Order. They're the only ones I've seen make those kind of hand gestures."

"_So the ninja here use hand signs also…" _Filing that bit of information away for later, the monk decided it was time to leave before the master somehow discovered the truth about his move.

"Well old man, thanks for allowing me to experience your sword style, but I better be going…" Turning around, he came face to face with Yasuo. The swordsman had an amused expression on his otherwise disinterested face.

"Wait up for a moment, what's the rush? I was thinking that after seeing such a weak example of our style that you'd want to see what it's truly capable of." Yone shook his head as he heard his brother put down Toppū's performance.

"What it's truly capable of huh…" If he went by what by what Yauo was saying, then what he'd seen from Toppū was just the tip of the blade. He was genuinely interested in what else the style had to offer. The fact that they use elemental attacks at all intrigued him already.

"_On the other hand, the way he talks make me think of Sasuke… an arrogant bastard. Makes me wanna kick his ass even more, actually."_

Looking up with a feral grin, he struck his fist out towards Yasuo. "Sure, I think I have enough time to kick your ass and make it to Hirana by night."

Giving a grin of his own, the swordsman walked by Naruto towards the center of the field. Once he reached the middle, he turned and placed his hand on the grip of his katana. "Well, let's not waste each other's time then."

Making his way back towards the center of the field, Naruto was stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Yone with a serious look on his face.

"I don't mean to insult your abilities Naruto. However, I think you might be entering a battle where the only outcome is defeat. My brother, for all his posturing, is in a whole different league than Toppū."

"You say that, but that just makes me wanna fight him even more." Shaking his head at the reply, the swordsman's gave the monk a worried look.

"Remember when I told you my brother was the strongest in this academy? I wasn't exaggerating! He…"

"Good…" Confusion rushed across Yone's face as he processed what the blonde before had just said.

"G-Good? That's not _good. _The blades we use may be blunted, but there is no dulling the edge that the wind can produce." He was seriously beginning to think the monk was more than a little peculiar. Turning towards the master, he gave him a pleading look. "Master! Please talk him out of this foolishness!"

The master merely kept his gave on the center of the field were the ensuing battle was about to take place. Seeing his instructor was going to be of no help, he swerved back around to try and convince the monk to quit. He was surprised however, when he saw said monk was already halfway towards his destination. Sighing in exasperation, the older brother made his way back towards the excited crowd.

Seeing his opponent stop a couple of meters away from him, Yasuo uncrossed his arms. "Finally… thought you were going to run away. Go and meditate or something like that…"

"Naw, your brother was just begging me not to beat your ass _too_ hard."

Giving the blonde one last smirk, the wind wielder drew his blade and settled into a stance. One that was a lot different than what he had seen from Toppū. He was leaning forward with his right foot being used as the lead. One hand held the sheath parallel to the ground, while the other held the blade in front of him.

"Well, come then. This blade isn't getting any lighter." Deciding to be the aggressor this time around, the blond rushed towards Yasuo's positon.

"_Hopefully I can force him to use his wind based attacks. Then I'll finally be able to see if it's comparable to Futon jutsu."_

Opening up with some basic strikes he learned from Shojin, Naruto watched as the swordsman used his sheath to either block or parry the incoming blows. This continued until the monk noticed a shift in his opponent's stance. With a speed that he wasn't expecting, he narrowly dodged the wide arc of the blade. Seeing an opening, Yasuo continued on with a series of precise cuts. He wasn't worried that the blonde kept moving just out the blades reach. Rather, he had expected it.

"_Right… back… right… left… his pattern is rather predictable. That being the case…"_ Aiming where he knew the blonde would be next, he thrust his sword forward.

"Ton!"

Seeing the blade approaching his mid-section as he landed, Naruto gritted his teeth as he pushed chakra to his feet. Propelling himself backwards, he stood ready for Yasuo's next move.

"Hey buddy, you're leaking." Looking confused, the blonde looked to where the swordsman was pointing his blade. Indeed, there was a shallow puncture on navel. Ignoring the already healed wound, he re-focused back on Yasuo.

"_Again… just like Toppū, he used the wind without me sensing any type of chakra. However he's doing it, could he be using something similar at least? It just doesn't make any sense…"_

"_**Isn't that EXACTLY what that fox bastard said like ten minutes ago? Who cares how anybody does ANYTHING. Just hurry up and kick his ass! With me in your gut, there is NO WAY this jackass is betting us in a wind war! Why don't you use the ole' Renkūdan and end this guy already?"**_

"_Tch… Yeah, and let everybody know that I can fire an attack destructive enough to wipe this town out? It's bad enough the elders know. I don't need that kind of attention…"_

Hearing a chuckle he knew all too well, he addressed its owner. "_And what's so funny Kurama-teme?" _

"_**I find your statement to be ironic. Aren't you the same boy who at one time went around screaming about how 'I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage!'? All while wearing that horrible jumpsuit." **_

"_Yeah… that was me. But that was before we fucked up and got everyone killed. Excuse me if I just happened to change a little!"_

Ending the conversation, he refocused his gaze back on Yasuo. It seemed to be at the just the right moment too, as the swordsman had grown impatient. Almost as if gliding across the ground, Yasuo closed the gap between them.

Off on the sidelines, the rest of the students observed the match in obvious trepidation. They were awed at how well the monk was not only keeping up with Yasuo, but also seemingly giving him a decent challenge. Even from their distance, they could feel the breezes that were simultaneous with Yasuo's swings.

Observing the match with a critical eye, the master watched the deadly dance before him. Even though blood had been drawn (multiple times now in fact), he wouldn't end the match. He had known the monk was holding back tremendously when he faced Toppū. Though she was one of his more experienced pupils, even she could not stand before Yasuo. None of his other students could. Even the few that were his senior quickly fell to his technique.

"_A couple more seasons, and that boy will surpass even me! He has already mastered the final technique. None have been able to accomplish such a feat since I did so over 30 years ago…"_

Watching as the duo continued at the furious pace that had been set,he could see the ripples as the wind flowed around his student.

"_Indeed, that boy is destined for great things!"_

Unfortunately, the 'boy' in question wasn't faring so well. Breaking apart yet again from their clash, Yasuo took another back step away. Taking the time to catch his breath, he observed his opponent. Numerous shallow cuts adorned him, but he didn't even seem to even notice them. Even the ones that bled didn't seem to slow him down. Feeling a bead of sweat roll down his cheek, he rolled his shoulders.

"_This guy just doesn't tire, does he? It's kinda of irritating really. However, this is the best fight I've had in a while! Pity that I have to end it now…" _With a final intake of air, he made his move. Charging Naruto once again, he drew his blade. Unleashing the wind that he had built up around him.

"Face the wind!" A large gust blew in between them as the air made a barely visible wall. It also kicked up a fair amount of dust, which served as cover for Yasuo. Re-sheathing his sword, he prepared to use his final move. Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate.

"_One blade… One purpose…"_

On the other side of the pillar of dust, Naruto stood amazed at what he was seeing. _"Wow… this is almost like Asuma-Sensei's __**Fūjin no Jutsu! **__Except this guy is using it as a distraction… he looked a bit winded last time. He's probably gonna try and end it with another wind based attack. Let's see how his compare's to mine…"_

"_Now!"_

His eyes shooting open, Yasuo whipped his blade out his sheath. From this, a whirlwind blew straight towards his opponent. Watching as it dispersed the remaining dust that his wind wall had caused, he braced himself.

"_Here it comes…"_

Naruto was lifted off his feet and drawn into the air. Seeing this, Yasuo almost _flew_ towards the blond. To him what happened next played out as if time had slowed just for that exact moment. As he rapidly approached the monk, he prepared to use _**Last Breath **_to finish the fight. However, as he went to strike down the blond, he saw the monk had his fist reared back. It was a strange thing, the way he was able to control himself while being propelled in the air. Most people were blown up in a state of helplessness. Regardless, it was too late for Naruto to retaliate in anyway.

Lifting his blade above his head, he saw his opponent shoot his fist at him. Preparing to bring the sword down, his world came to a halt as he felt tremendous pressure on his stomach. As the air was brutally pushed from his lungs, he began to fly backwards. Flying through the air, Yasuo could only wonder what had went wrong. What had the monk done?

"_H-How?! I was far from his punching range… unless… No!"_

Clenching his teeth as he tumbled on the ground, he continued to roll from the force of the blow.

"_He extended his range using the wind! It's the only way he could have hit me! But how?!"_

Finally coming to an abrupt stop at a tree, Yasuo cried out as he felt some of his ribs break from the impact. With an agonized grunt, he slowly lifted his head to the far side of the field. The blonde was standing there, staring straight at him. In his peripheral, he could barely make out his classes shocked expressions.

Making his way towards his downed opponent, he thought about what had just happened. "_I see now… they can probably use the same moves I can, but mine will always come out stronger. "_

"_**An astute observation. You are indeed correct, no matter what technique they preform, yours will always be stronger by default."**_

Hearing the quadruped dolphin speak, he pushed for more information. _"Why is that? Are they using something different from chakra?"_

"_**We may never truly know the origin of the internal energy the humans of this 'Runeterra' use. But… it is similar enough to chakra to enable nature manipulation. It is even plausible that they can also use this 'pseudo-chakra' to achieve things we've yet to see. That being said, with our collective chakra coursing through you, the density of your own chakra has increased significantly. Thus, our jutsu will always have more natural power.**_

Blinking his eyes at the long explanation, he gave Kokuō a silent thanks. Now standing before Yasuo, he could see the man glaring at him. He was clutching his sides with a look of pain stretched across his features.

"How did you do it?" Narrowing his eyes, he looked straight into the swordsman's own.

"What are you talking about? How did I do what, exactly?" Naruto could see the rage his own question had caused. It looked like the man wanted to jump into his face, but was stopped by his broken ribs. Settling for giving him a withering look, he continued. "Don't Bullshit me Naruto! The wind! You used the wind to push me back!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rest of the academy rapidly making their way towards them. Cursing under his breath, he looked back towards Yasuo. "_I guess now is the time to get back on the road!"_ Placing his hands on the back of the back of his head, Naruto turned his back to Yasuo.

"Didn't I tell you? Still about an hour left before the sun goes down. Well, thanks for the fights, but I really have to go, Peace." Making his way pass the crowd that surrounded Yasuo, he could see the looks of awe in some of their eyes as he walked by. Giving a friendly wave as he strode through, he ignored the curious look the master was giving him.

"W-Wait you bastard! I… I'm fine! Stop him!" Yasuo's fervent cries only grew as he saw the mop of yellow hair disappear behind the crowd. Growling, he tried to stand but was reminded of his current predicament when he felt the searing pain of his snapped ribs. Seeing his brother kneel next to him, he grabbed the front of his robe top.

"Yasuo… are you alright? You flew pretty far. Speaking of that, how did…" Whatever he was about to say was cut off as the master finally made his way to him. The master stood before the brothers, giving the younger one a strange look.

"Master, you have to stop him! He used the wind to push me back. I'm not sure how, but he did! Ugghhh…" Grunting as the pain flared up again, he could hear the collective gasp from the class. Almost as a unit, they turned in the direction that monk went. However, they were surprised when they were met with emptiness.

"Where did go? It's almost like he disappeared into the wind."

* * *

"Man… It would'a been bad if they had started asking questions. Bad enough that Yasuo was screaming his head off about what I did."

Coming over a rather steep hill, Naruto gazed down from the ledge he was standing upon. In the distance he could make out the gates to the Placidium. Letting out a sigh of relief, he continued his stroll down the path.

"_**I still don't understand why you don't just travel the normal way, kitten. This paltry pace you've been taking isn't like you." **_

"_I think you're forgetting Matatabi, flying through the tree tops isn't exactly 'normal' here." _Looking up, he gazed upon the sun sitting on the horizon. Behind him, the sky was already turning a dark hue. _"Just because I have the power, doesn't mean I have to use it." _In his hand, he stroked a purple ribbon that was tied to the clip of his pack.

"_I hope that old man is teaching you that as well, Syndra."_

* * *

Looking around the corner of the hut he was hiding behind, the ex-shinobi sighed in relief. "_I don't think they're following me anymore… time to get the hell out of this town." _

After he had used _Shushin _to teleport himself away from the field, he had decided to get some supplies before he left town. It wasn't too long however, before he saw some of the students of the academy wondering around. Using a quick _Henge**, **_he turned himself to an average middle-aged traveler. He had been approached numerous times by the students of the school. Each time a different person, but with the same inquiry.

"_Being the only damn blond on this island is turning out to be pretty shitty." _At least back in Konoha, he had Tsunade and Ino to share in the glory of sun colored hair.

"_**If I recall, the younger one had a more… pale quality to her. That large-breasted woman you named your Hokage also had a shade different from your own. It seems this 'glory' you speak of, is yours alone."**_

"_You and Shukaku-teme both! Always putting me down, Dattebayo! Things would be different if I had been born with kaa-chan's color instead!" _As he walked towards the town's exit, he imagined the life he would have had if his hair had been red.

"_**Yes… red is vastly superior to yellow. You Uzumaki had something good going on there. Until, you know, Mito sealed me away… that bitch." **_

"_Oi kitsune-teme! Don't go calling my… uhh… actually, are we even closely related?" _Hearing the fox grumble in his head, he waited for an answer.

"_**Hmm… if I recall the few glimpses I had of her life when I was trapped within her. Mito was your mother's aunt… I think. Why else would they send her to your village if they weren't related? Regardless, both of them sucked. Mito ignored me for the better half of 60 years, and your own mother had me pinned to a giant sphere with giant stakes!"**_

Grimacing as he thought about what he had just heard, he almost ignored the woman that was waving at him. Seeing the hand in the corner of his vision he turned to give a smile. Instead of a smile in return, the woman rushed towards him. A hurried look on her otherwise appealing feature's.

"_Whoa… White hair and purple eyes? This lady probably isn't from Ionia either." _

"_**And would you take a look at those curves! Y'know brat, after the busy day we've had, I think we should just relax here for the night. A good night's sleep can do wonders for the body!" **_He could ignore what the tanuki said easily enough. It was another matter entirely to ignore a woman who had a body comparable to Tsunade.

"Excuse me kind sir, thank you for stopping. I've been waiting nearly all day for someone to come this way. It is rare for travelers to leave on this side of town after all. Would you care to come inside for a moment?"

"_**JACKPOT BABY! All you need to do is follow inside and help her retain that white hair of hers… hehehe." **_

Giving the woman an apologetic look, he declined the invitation. "I'm sorry miss, but its already night and I really need to be going… uh, have a good night."

During their travels, Jiraiya had talked to Naruto about the 'power of mature woman'. He even had this huge theory that they had a special kind of appeal, especially to younger men. He had been 14 at the time, and had dismissed that conversation entirely. That was almost four years ago however, and times had changed.

Before he could make a rush pass the gate, he felt a frightingly strong grip on his back. Slowly turning his head to face the woman, she gave him remorseful frown. "That is… unfortunate. Then, may I request a favor of you kind sir?" Looking into her violet eyes, he noticed they had a faint glow to them.

Before he could reply, she took out a rolled piece of parchment from her dress. "If you would kindly take this letter to my child, I would be most grateful. I would go myself, but I hurt my leg in an incident a while ago and can no longer make the journey."

Taking the letter, Naruto placed it in his robes. "Very well miss, I would be happy to help a mother in need." Turing back towards the road, he stopped as he thought of something. "Where am I going again?" Giggling at the 'man' before her, she pointed into the distance. "If you take this road up the mountain, you will come across a small temple. It's about an hour north of here, and two hours west of Hirana."

With one last smile he prepared to depart, however he was stopped yet again by a hand on his back. Turing his head once again, he saw the woman giving him a genuine smile. "I am greatly in your debt for doing this for me! It has been months since I've last seen my baby… If you ever find yourself back in Soyokaze, please come find me. I'm sure I can find some way to… _thank _such a handsome man with exotic blond hair such as yourself."

Naruto stood still has looked at the retreating form of the pale haired woman. "_She can see through my __**Henge**_?! _Nobody's ever been able to see through it! Nobody __**should **__be able to see through it!"_

"_**Remember what I said about the people of this realm. We felt her trying to penetrate your mind, likely to sway you to do her bidding."**_

Shaking his head, he continued looking at the spot where the mysterious mother resided. He didn't sense any evil intent from her when they were talking. She was probably genuine about her concern for her child. "_Looks like I'm gonna have to be even more careful from now on." _Looking at the darkening sky, he decided to carry on to the temple.

Now outside the gate, he looked around. Seeing no one around, he dropped his transformation and started leaping up the steep ledges of the mountain. _"I swear, this side of the island has to be one long ass mountain range or something." _Grumbling, he continued in silence.

At the pace he was going, it didn't take long for him to reach his destination. Standing atop the edge of a waterfall, he gazed down at the small structure below him. It looked like any other Ionian dwelling, expect was larger than most. "_Well let's get this over with. From here, it should only take me like 15 or so minutes to reach Hirana."_

Leaping off the edge, he fell the hundred or so feet down to the valley. Landing silently, he made his way to the house. Looking around his environment, he couldn't help but feel that the valley was somewhat isolated. The corner of the mountain that it resided under did a remarkable job of hiding it.

Reaching the temple, he stared at its imposing wooden doors. Giving the surface a couple of knocks, he waited for a response. After standing for some time, the door gradually creaked open. Seeing no one step out, he hesitantly walked through the entrance. Once inside, he had to stop himself from jumping as he heard the massive door behind him close.

Looking ahead, he saw an elderly man sitting in a chair. "Hello my boy, what brings you here at this time of night? I doubt that you are here by accident." Shuffling his feet a little, Naruto walked until he was but a few feet from the man. Reaching behind his back, he pulled the parchment from his sleeve.

"I was asked to deliver this to someone's child that is supposed to live here… uhh…"

"Kōsoku… that is my name. And yours?"

"Naruto. Anyway, I'm here to drop this off. Do you know who this letter is for?" He didn't mean to sound rude, but he _really _wanted to reach Hirana before tomorrow. Hearing the older man chuckle, he saw him slowly rise from his seat. No longer draped in the darkness of the night, the monk was finally able to really see the man in the moonlight.

He was definitely old, with silvery gray hair and a chest length flowing beard. He was slightly hunched over, a testament to the burdens he must've had shouldered in his years. The only thing that truly stuck out were his eyes. He could see the kindness within them, but was also wary of the power that radiated from those blue orbs. Beyond that, Naruto would be hard-pressed to not mistake him for any other old man.

Before the man could reach him, they heard a feminine voice call out. "That must be for me!" Arching his head over his shoulder, he saw a younger version of the woman he had met it town. She had the same purple eyes, and the same long white hair. Running up to the blond, see stood before him expertly. "Well? Let me have it!"

"Oh… uh sorry." Giving the girl the letter, he saw her hastily unravel it and read over its contents. Closing her eye's once she was finished, she rolled the letter back up and stuck it into her gown.

"Syndra…" Hearing the tone in her teacher's voice, she gave the man before her a small bow.

"Thank you for delivering this… Naruto was it? It's been months since mother has been able to find someone to come this way." The teen girl gave him a small smile before staring up at his torso. "Also… I couldn't help but notice, but, you're quite big aren't you?" Seeing his eyes widen, she stared at him in confusion as his face took a healthy shade of red.

Looking over at the elders amused face he turned back to the girl and stuttered out an answer. "I-I guess I mean… it's not like I've… you know… compared myself to anyone else."

Syndra thought over his answer for a few moments before her own face started burning up. "That's not what I meant! I was talking about your mana! Why would I want to know the size of your…" Turning her eyes away, she fought to contain her embarrassment.

Realizing the mistake he had made, the blonde tried to save face. "T-That's what I was talking about! I've never compared my uh… muna…"

"Mana." She corrected him.

"Yeah, that stuff… to anybody else.I have a lot, they don't. What's the big deal?" Hopefully they bought that. He didn't need the old man wondering if he was perving on his student.

On her part, Syndra looked completely baffled. "A lot?! I could feel you from miles away! Even now, it feels like I'm standing next to a ley line! Such power… yours surpasses anything I've ever felt before! I can feel it… almost like it's calling to me… and it's all coming from here…" The teen seemed to be in a trance as she placed her hand where his seal was. She felt a warmth spread throughout her body as she made contact with the blond.

"Syndra! Remember your exercises." Awakening from her trance, she blinked and looked at where her hand was placed. Drawing her hand away, the girl looked up into man's eyes. _"No… what I felt is far beyond what a human should be capable of! If I can get him to stay then… perhaps he can be my teacher!"_

"Well uh… if that's all, I need to get to Hirana." Seeing the old man nod, he turned and made his way towards the door. Before he could open it however, he heard a shout.

"No! Y-You can't leave so soon! You just got here… at least stay here for a couple of days!" Looking over his shoulder, he could see the pale haired teen making her way towards him. Once she reached him, she took his hand of the door handle and held it both of hers. He could see the desperation in her violet eyes.

"I'm sure our guest has his own business to attend to Syndra. Hopefully he'll come back with another letter from Selana." Giving Kōsoku a silent thanks, he smiled at Syndra and nodded in agreement to what the old man had just said.

"Yeah, next time I'm in the area, I'll come down and see you guys." Seeing her face fall, he kneeled so that he could be the one looking up at her. Lifting her chin, he stared into her eyes. "I promise you Syndra, if it means so much to you. I will defiantly come back to see you!"

Giving a small smile, she pulled the ribbon that was tied into her hair. "You promise huh… then you'll bring this purple hair tie back to me when you return then? You better not lose it, my mother gave that to me!" Placing it on his palm, she blushed and turned her back on him. "Well, don't you have to go? The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return… So leave!"

With a loud creak, Naruto turned to see the door behind him almost fly open. Looking back at Syndra, he could only see her back. Giving one last nod, he left the temple and disappeared into the night. Closing the door, she excused herself as she headed back towards her quarters.

"_With him by my side, we won't have to listen to those stupid elders. Once I've finished my lessons here, I'll show them that I'm the one in control…"_

* * *

Taking a glance at the ribbon, he continued his trek towards the Placidium. By now, the sun was well below the horizon. Replaced by the pale radiance of the moon, he was reminded of Syndra's hair. "_After I visit those two again, I'll make good on my promise to her…"_

"_**You should know better than to make a promise you can't keep kitten, especially to a woman."**_

"_I'm not, I just don't see the need to go visit a girl I barely know. I know she's probably lonely, but damn was she clingy."_

"_**I'm just saying, you made the same oath to two different women. Don't disappoint them."**_

"_One of those 'woman' you mentioned, was a fox…" _He still couldn't believe it himself, an animal had forced him into something.

"_**The correct term is 'vixen' boy… get it right." **_Grumbling at what the Kyūbi said, he recalled that particular incident from when he got lost in the forest of southern Ionia.

* * *

Three months…

That was how long he had been traveling around his new home. _"Although I can hardly call it new anymore… I've already seen over half of it." _Taking out his map, he looked at where his next destination was. Currently, he was in the southwestern part of the island.

"_Let's see… Karma said to follow the paths through the forest… then to go through the ridge pass. After that, it's a couple days travel to the northwest edge of the island. From there, I'll be able to get to the island where those 'ninja' are supposed to be." _Rolling his map back up, he continued trekking deeper into the dense forest.

He could sense the wildlife which stayed outside of his vision. As he thought about the creatures of the forest, he was reminded of his time in Hirana. Much like Shojin, his first few days were filled with meditation. Fortunately, this didn't last long, as the monks of Hirana were a lot more physical than their brethren down south.

Especially a man who called himself Udyr. The few times they fought, he attacked with a ferocity rarely seen in a human. He had explained that he was some type of 'spirit walker' who channeled the power of four spirits that resided within him. Things had taken an awkward turn when he began questioning the blond about his own 'spirits'.

It had been hard, but he had been able to play off Udyr's questions for the month he was there. He had told the brown-haired man that he couldn't 'feel' the spirits he was talking about. After that, he spent most of his time with the beastly man. They would spar a lot, in an attempt to get Naruto to bring forth his 'true nature'. In the end, the whiskered man had told him that he felt nothing. After that, he had left the monastery after thanking them for their instruction.

"_**Although you lied to that man, we've been able to meld even better since we've left that place." **_ Gyuki had been wary of the man, but couldn't deny the progress Naruto had made with drawing on their individual chakra.

"_Yeah I guess… but I can feel __**more**__ than just our chakra melding. Sometimes I feel like your attitudes are mixing with mine."_

"_**Not surprising… as some of Kurama's nature intertwined with yours, so shall ours."**_

"_**Yeah baby! A little more time with me and maybe you'll stop bein a little bitch!" **_

Feeling a shudder go down his spine, Naruto cut off the communication between his tenants. Letting loose a sigh, he directed his gaze skyward. "_Great… now I'm gonna become a super prev like that ero-tanuki… and it's raining… again." _During his travels in southern Ionia, he had discovered that it rained here quite a bit. Which luckily for him meant about half the week at a minimum.

Taking shelter under one of the many trees that made up the forest, he began to meditate. Drawing in the natural energy around him, he felt the area around him light up. From his position, he could feel the vitality of all creatures from miles away. _"Some of the animals here have pretty dense chakra."_

"_**It's not chakra…"**_

Ignoring the comment, he continued to radiate his own. He didn't know how long he sat there, but when he re-opened his eyes, it wasn't raining any longer. Stretching his back, he prepared to continue his journey. Before he could however, he took note of his audience. Surrounding him was every type of animal one would expect to see in a forest. Some he'd never even seen before.

The one's that caught his attention the most though, were the foxes. There was a group of about four of them sitting a couple of meters away from him. It wasn't how close they were that made them stick out though, it was their tails. Out of the four, three of them had nine tails, with the last having only six.

"_O-Oi Kurama! You seeing this?! There's like three of you in front of me!" _The foxes seemed to notice he was staring at them, and proceeded to duck behind a tree. One of them poked its head out and, noticing the human was still staring at it, walked towards him.

"_**Hmm… Interesting… As far as I know, I was the only 'Kyūbi' back in the elemental countries. And that was because of the old man who created us. It seems as though they can sense us within you." **_

"_Do I just have a huge sign on my head that says 'Hey everybody! I'm a jinchuriki! Ask me anything… like how I have nine huge ass biju in my gut!" _Really, he was beginning to think that trying to lay low was a waste of time. As he mused about his situation, the fox continued to approach him.

Cautiously, it made its way towards him until it sat no more than a few feet away. Naruto didn't know why it bothered, the creature was easily twice the size Akamaru had been. He could hear the other foxes yip wildly the closer the one before him got. _"Probably warning it that I'm 'dangerous' or something. It wouldn't be too surprising to find out that the animals here are hunted."_

"_**Humans can be pretty stupid, but do you really think anyone from around here would hunt something of that size? Besides, foxes are known for their wit and trickery… a fox that gets caught in some hunter's trap isn't worth their tails." **_He could almost _feel _the smugness in Kurama's voice as he talked about his species.

Rolling his eyes, he concentrated on the vulpine figure in front of him. Now merely less than a foot away, it slowly brought its muzzle towards his face. Staring into a pair of slitted amber eyes, the monk didn't make a move. He watched as the numerous tails of the fox slowly descended upon him. Taking this as a sign that he was being trusted, he reached out and brushed his hands through its silvery white fur.

"_Y'know, besides the whole size of a small horse thing… this fox is pretty nice." _He continued to rub behind the fox's ears. Moving to sit beside him, the fox leaned on him while wrapping him in its tails. Taking the time to look at the creature, he noted it was female. "_Good, it would make me feel like it was you if it were male." _

"_**Hmpf… We may be on friendly terms now, but that doesn't mean I'll demean myself by… cuddling with you." **_Just thinking about it made a shiver of disgust run through the kitsune's body.

After sitting with the vixen for a few more moments, Naruto jumped back to his feet. Seeing this, the fox also stood, its nine tails slowly waving through the air. Giving an awkward smile he pet the animal one last time before turning his back. "Well… uh… it's been fun I guess… so I'll see you again? _Man that sounds so lame." _Whispering the last part, he started to walk away.

Before he could make it a few steps however, he felt something wrap around his arm. Looking down, he saw the white fur of the fox's tail. Turning around, he was greeted to another tail caressing his whiskers.

"_**Hehe… looks like its mating season kid. I'm sure you'll just run from this piece of tail too… get it… because she has multiple tails?!"**_

"_Not… funny…"_

Giving the fox another forced smile, he tried to pull away. He was rewarded by another tail wrapping around his other arm. Hearing the vixen whine, he stopped trying to pull away. "Alright then, looks like where doing this the hard way." Making a cross-shaped gesture with his hands, another Naruto popped into existence right next to him.

Switching places with the clone, he gave the fox one last look before continuing his trek. Throughout the entire process, the vixen stood in shock as the human doubled himself. Hearing a puff, she felt her tails grasping at thin air as the fake human disappeared. Growling, the fox ran to catch up to the interesting human.

Running back onto the road, she looked around but there was no sign of the robe clad man. Sniffing the air, she yipped as she caught his scent in the air. But how did something on two legs get so far, so fast? Ignoring that, the fox tracked her prey down.

Some distance away, Naruto jumped out of the tree he had just been in. Looking down the empty pathway behind him, he smirked and continued down the trail. _"That fox was getting a little too attached… but now I've gone off the road that I was following on the map." _Cursing under his breath, Naruto pulled his map back out.

Unbeknownst to him, he was being watched from behind a tree. With a grin forming on her vulpine features, the vixen casually strode up right behind him. Silly human thought he could get away! With him radiating such _delicious _life energy, there was no way he was escaping her. Not to mention, there was something about him that wasn't right. He felt like the other foxes that roamed the woods, maybe it was the whisker marks?

Meanwhile, the blonde was getting increasingly irritated as he tried to pinpoint where he was exactly. "I'm sure I just went a mile or so west! Or… was it north? These damn trees all look the same! How I'm I supposed to reach the Tranquil Ridge now?" While he continued to glare at his map, he saw a white appendage come over his shoulder. Landing on the map, he saw it trace along the edge, towards his destination.

"Hmm... That could be the way… It does look like the spot where that village is supposed… to…" Pausing mid-sentence, the monk slowly turned his head until he looked upon the foxes own curious gaze. Stiffly rolling his map back up, he kept his eyes locked on the fox. "Look… Obviously you're a lot smarter…" The vixen gave a nod. "… Than I thought, so I'll just ask you. Why are you following me? As you can see… I'm not a fox."

The slivery fur of the fox swayed in the wind as she merely stared at him. Shaking her head she extended one of her tails. Naruto raised an eyebrow as he felt the appendage rub against the markings on his face. "What? What about my birthmarks?" Growling in response, the animal kept rubbing his face with one tail while touching her own with another tail.

"You think… Just because I have 'whiskers' like you, that I'm a fox? I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. Anyways, would you _please _stop following me? You can't go where I'm going, and I'd feel bad if you were to get hurt because of me." Naruto didn't know how to describe the face the vixen was making, but he'd settle on stubborn.

Suddenly, he was yet again wrapped in all nine of the white tails. Letting loose a sigh he prepared to use escape the same way as he did last time. Before his hands could make the gesture however, he heard his unwanted companion whine. Gradually, the snug grip was released until the tails were swaying back behind his temporary captor.

"Thanks… I guess." Turning back towards his destination, he prepared to carry on. Before he did however, he took one last behind him. The fox was still sitting in the same spot, but with her muzzle pointed towards the grass. With an exasperated sigh, he walked back towards the depressed creature.

"_Can't believe I'm about to do this… for an animal…" _Kneeling in front of the vixen, he wasn't surprised to see her face shoot back up with a hopeful gleam in her amber eyes. "Look uh… I'm sure that someday I'll be walking through this place again! So… don't be so down and stuff. It doesn't look right."

With one last pat on her head, he picked himself up and made his way towards the road. Feeling a tug on his arm, he bit his lip. Turing around with a forced smile, he was pushed to the ground and held down by her weight. Now looking up into a pair of siltted eyes, he grunted as their faces were inches apart. Giving him a few licks on his cheek, he started to feel uncomfortable under the vixen's intense gaze.

"_Promise me… you'll come back."_

Hearing a soft, feminine voice in the back of his mind, his eye's widened in shock. Naruto couldn't help but squirm under her. "What the fuck… did you just talk?! In MY head! That's it! I…" Before he could launch his vulpine assailant off, he was caught in her gaze once more. Even through his resistance, she kept the same intense look in her eyes.

"_Promise me!"_

"A-Alright already, Dattebayo! I promise I'll come back to see you! Now can you get off me? You're kinda heavy…" With a slight glare, his captor relented and moved off him. Pushing himself up, he dusted off his clothes. Picking up his gear, he turned to look at the fox. She sat, still staring at him with her piercing gaze.

With a shrug to, he turned his back on the sentient fox. Finally free to continue his journey, he took a step towards the trail. Before he completed the step however, he turned back towards the vixen. "Wait, how will I find you? From what I've seen, white foxes seem to be common around here." With a foxy grin that would put his own to shame, she turned and ran back into the forest.

As he saw her disappear into the darkness of the dense forest, he heard the voice in his head once more.

"_I will be the one to find you! And when we next meet… things will be much different."_

* * *

"Wonder what she meant by that… she's a fox. I don't think things can get much 'different' for her."

Now traveling under moonlight, it would only be another hour or so before he made to the Placidium. Looking up at the night sky, his eye's made out the many constellations that dotted it. Every night when he star gazed, he would think about Soraka. When he had been traveling around southern Ionia, he had asked around about her location. Though the locals knew _of _the Starchild, they had no idea _where _she actually lived.

"_If I can remember from when I first came here… she was in some kind of forest with glowly trees. I know she's somewhere near Navori… that's the direction we came from originally…" _Pushing his hand through his mane of blond hair, he tried to think of a way to get to his former caretaker.

"_**Remembering that dream you had about her huh? I don't blame you for trying to make it a reality… that star babe had a body that was out of this world!"**_

"_Yeah… well it looks like I'm gonna keep on dreaming because I have no idea where to find her!"_

"_**Well… I'm pretty sure your ninja buddies back on that island might know. Especially that Hikari chick and her daughter! You could make a fine kunoichi sandwich right there, with you in the middle!"**_

Ignoring the latter half of his suggestion, Naruto thought about what the tanuki had just said. It was true that the Kinkou Order generally knew mostly everything that went on the island. Not to mention he was returning there anyways.

"_Alright then! After I leave here in a few days, I'll return back there a little earlier then I planned. Hopefully, Rendao knows where Soraka is… I'm sure he does, that guy knows everything."_

As he walked deeper into the shadows, he briefly thought about how he met the leader of the Kinkou.

* * *

For an island that was supposed to be full of ninja, it was surprisingly easy to get on undetected.

"_**You say that, but didn't you just blast across a body of water to reach this very island? I doubt many could do the same thing."**_

"_That just makes it worse then, doesn't it? You'd think that a guy zooming through the ocean would attract some attention..." _As he peered past the tree he was hiding behind, he got a glimpse of the darkened sky. "_… That's also why I waited till the clouds were covering the moon. You know, stealth and shit."_

Giving another cautious look around the tree, Naruto concentrated. "_Yo Kurama, You mind gathering some natural chakra for me?"_

Feeling the welcome expanding of his senses, he concentrated on his immediate area. Except the wildlife that inhabited the outer forest, he couldn't sense any people for a couple of miles. Jumping to the top of another nearby tree, he scouted the area out.

"_Hmm… except that large complex, there's nothing but trees around here. Nice to see that this place is mostly flat, I'm so tired of mountains…"_ Flipping off the tree and landing in a silent crouch, Naruto ventured further into the islands center. Using his sensing abilities granted from his _**Sennin-Modo, **_he could estimate just how many people were at the complex.

Soon, he was less than half a mile away from the entrance of the compound. Releasing the natural chakra within, his eyes returned to their original blue. With one last breath to prepare himself, he stepped out into an open section of the forest.

"_Wonder how long it will take… Oh… finally! Let's see how the ninja here get down."_ Feeling ready to burst with excitement, Naruto ignored the blade at his neck.

"Wow! You guys were like, super-fast! Not as fast as I woulda been… but still! And, would you mind, y'know, taking that blade away from my neck? You could hurt me!" As he finished his sentence, the weapon was pushed further into his skin.

"Your attire designates you as a monk from the mainland. However, no monk has ever penetrated this far into the isle without being detected… nor have they tried. State your business at once… and no more jokes."

The tone in the kunoichi's voice held no warmth, no mercy. The longer they stood, he could feel her digging the blade deeper into the artery of his neck. As he stalled, he let his eyes wonder around his surroundings. He could see another kunoichi to his left, with a shinobi waiting atop a tree branch. He could see them easily enough, but not the other three ninja that hid from view.

"Hey look, I'm not here to attack you guys or anything alright? I've just been traveling around Ionia and this was the last stop. An island full of ninja was just too much to pass up!" He could almost _feel _the disbelief that was exuding from his captor.

"You thought… coming to an island full of trained assassins made for a good tourist trip. Do not test my patience. I've killed fools such as yourself for much less…"

"Ooohhh… edgy! Your gonna kill a fellow Ionian for nothing? Seems kinda messed up, don't cha think?" He wasn't overly concerned with his health right now, just testing the morals of the local ninja. He was pretty sure she would kill him if she thought he was a threat. It was just a matter of how far he could push her.

"_**If this had happened before you even mastered Sennin-Modo, you'd be taking a lot more seriously…"**_

"_Meh… maybe, but even if they can 'out ninja' me, I guarantee that I could kick all their 's nice to have a little fun every once and awhile, so lighten up Gyuki!"_

Feeling the kunoichi shift, he could feel her breath on the back of his neck. "We may be countrymen, but most know that this place is forbidden. I will take no pleasure in killing you, but I _will_ do whatever is necessary."

Suddenly, a figure appeared before him. He had on a face mask, so the only thing he could see was the man's strange pale glowing eyes. "It has been a while, hasn't it Naruto? Guessing from the clothes you wear, you've been to at least the Hirana Monastery, hmm?" Hearing the leader talk to their intruder like an old friend, the woman dropped her weapon from his neck.

Squinting his eyes at the man as if trying to recognize him. Naruto rubbed his neck as he responded. "Yeah, like I was telling her, I've been over most of this island and wanted to stop here last." Turning his head slightly to give the female ninja a wary look, he continued. "You say it's been a while, but I don't remember meeting an old man with glowy eyes..."

"Not surprising, I have a habit of… blending in. It was a little over three months ago. I'm sure you remember when you stood before the elders? I was there, hidden in plain sight." The older ninja gave a slight bow to his guest. "My name is Rendao, by the way. You'll have to forgive Hikari for her… hostile greeting. What she said was true however. All Ionians learn sometime in their life not to travel to the northern island."

Giving the man a sheepish look, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uh… well, sorry I guess. Karma nor Soraka never mentioned anything about this place being off limits. All's I was told was that ninja were on this island."

"That still leaves the question. Why did you come here?" The older man questioned the monk before him. As the moon peeked from behind the clouds, the ninja kept their focus on the intruder.

"Before I tell you why I came here… can we get a little bit of privacy? It's kinda personal, y'know?"

The leader of the Kinkou closed his eyes as he considered Naruto's request. On his side, Hikari kept her gaze on the blonde. _"If this is the boy Rendao talked about when he came back a few months ago… I too am curious as to why he came here." _Tightening the grip she had on her kamas, she stood ready.

Finally, the older ninja opened his eyes. Staring into his pale orbs, Naruto clenched his fist in apprehension. "_If the old man says no, this could turn real shitty… real fast."_

"_**Pfftt… I doubt these wanobi's could barely last a minute with you. If he wants to fight, just put your foot up his ass!" **_Really, Shukaku doubted that there was anyone on this 'Runeterra' that could pose any sort of threat to them.

"_I could do that… but, I actually like Ionia. Things here are a lot more peaceful than they were back home… As long as nobody knows the truth about why I'm really here, we can start over. Oh yeah, and what the fuck is a 'wanobi'?"_

"_**You like it? I made it up like five minutes ago! It means 'wannabe shinobi', cuz these bitches aint got nothin on you! Show them what real ninja are all about!"  
**_

Resisting the urge to slap his forehead, Naruto stood waiting for any response from Rendao. Seeing the younger man's stare, the elder nodded his head. With a sudden wave of his hand, the ninja in the trees leapt back into the night. Looking slightly impressed, Naruto noticed that three of them decided to stay behind.

Hikari also noticing the stragglers, turned her head to speak to them. "Return home, we wish to converse with our… guest, alone." Without hesitation the trio also disappeared from the clearing.

"_Wonder what was so special about them? They all looked the same as the others. Except Rendao and this Hikari lady, I can't tell them apart from each other!" _Shaking his head at the thought, his face grew serious as he looked back at the remaining couple.

"Well, I guess I owe you guys that explanation then huh?" Closing his eyes as he mentally prepared himself, the blond released the breath he had been holding in. "To start, you should know that I'm not from Ionia… or Runeterra for that matter." He wasn't surprised to see the slight widening of Hikari's eyes. It was the look of indifference on Rendao's face that made him nervous.

"After you showed us that 'aura' of yours, a few of us had discussed the probability of you being from another realm. We have had reports that the 'summoners' at the Institute of War are fond of pulling things through space. Were you a victim of their meddling?"

"_I guess he doesn't think much of ripping holes into other worlds."_ Giving a bitter chuckle, his gaze fell to the ground as he replied. "No… Me being here is entirely my own fault." Unbeknownst to him, the duo before him gave each other a quick glance. Shaking himself out of his quickly mounting depression, he continued.

"Anyway… The reason I came here is because I wanted to see the ninja of this world. Back where I come from, ninja were everywhere! But from what I've seen of this place, I don't think we have much in common."

After hearing the shinobi-turned-monk's explanation, the pair were shocked. They could believe that he came from another realm. But, for that realm to also have ninja? The odds of that were even less than slim.

Staring intently at the blond, Hikari voiced her doubts. "I don't mean to be rude, but I find it hard to believe that you were a ninja. Perhaps our worlds have different definitions of what it means to be one? Please, explain the role the ninja of your world played."

"_Shit… its times like this I wish I paid more attention in the academy." _

"_**Do not fret Naruto. Did you forget that you have over a millenniums worth of knowledge resting inside you? Just repeat what we say." **_Hearing the deep rumbling voice of Gyuki made Naruto visibly relax.

"_**Count me out… You can suck it for all I care!"**_

"_Yeah? Don't go bitchin when I come in there to kick your grainy ass!"_

"Excuse me, are you alright? You drifted off for a moment." Blinking his eyes as he refocused, the monk gave a placating wave. "No! No! I was just um… collecting my thoughts. Anyways, here's how the Elemental country's work…"

As Gyuki suggested, Naruto parroted everything he heard from the Biju. From the different shinobi ranks to the principles of jutsu, the blonde gave a thorough briefing on his home world. While Rendao sat in rapt attention, Hikari wouldn't hesitate to ask for further explanation. He didn't know how much time had passed, but Naruto had quickly become bored of the 'class'. After what seemed like hours, he was finally done. As agreed upon with the Biju, the duo heard nothing about his world's origins or Kaguya.

Taking a moment to digest what he'd just heard, Rendao stayed silent. Hikari on the other hand, continued her inquiries. "I understand most of your world's history, but one thing has been bothering me. How exactly did this 'chakra' come to be? It sounds almost like the mana that sorcerers use. I'm still a bit skeptical about half the stuff you said you could do with this chakra."

Giving her no indication that he was a bit alarmed by her question, he gave a nonchalant shrug. "Meh… I'm not sure where chakra 'comes from'. We never learned that in the academy. The only thing we were taught was how to use it… and I've explained that already."

"I see… it just seems that what you call chakra, is what we call Ki. But the feats that you described made possible with chakra, make it seem more like Chi. Would you mind demonstrating one of the jutsu from your home?"

"I guess that's not a problem… but which one should I use…" As Naruto contemplated which brand of _Ninjutsu _he should use, the pair stood patiently. They grew increasingly interested as they heard him whisper the choices he had.

"_Kage Bushin… Rasengan… Oiroke no Justu… Hāremu no Jutsu?! Just what kind of ninja is he?" _Hikari's opinion of the blonde wavered as she heard the last two. Unconsciously, her hand rested on one of her kamas. After a couple more minutes of deliberating, the man shrugged and placed his hand into a cross-shape. Without a word, the space on either side of him was now occupied by copies of their guest. Suppressing the urge to gasp, the kunoichi warily walked up to the blond replicas.

"So… is this your '_**Oiroke no Jutsu**_**'**?" Hearing the underlying hostility in her voice, Naruto made sure to stay light on his feet. Giving her a cautious glance, he replied to the question.

"No, this is _Kage Bushin_. Where did you hear that one from?"

"You were talking under your breath… If you wouldn't mind, would you show me this 'sexy' technique you have? It sounds… interesting."

Looking over to Rendao for help, he saw the elder examining one of his clones. The older man seemed fascinated by the physical copies. _"Well, he aint gonna be much help…" _Giving a tired sigh, the blond placed his hands in another seal.

"_**Henge!"**_

Seeing a plume of smoke billow next to him, Rendao tore his attention away from the doppelgangers. He had been thinking about the many benefits of the Kinkou having such an ability. What he saw next though, completely floored him.

Once the smoke was clear, the duo were treated to a sight neither had expected. Where once stood a young man on the cusp of adulthood, now stood its complete opposite. A shapely young woman made her way out of the smoke. Wearing a more female friendly version of what the clones he had on, Naruko waved to the duo.

"Yo…" The pair of Kinkou ninja merely stared as they took in the blonde's new appearance. Walking towards the newly formed girl, Hikari gave her a look of amazement. _"Even his voiced changed! I was expecting him to just reappear naked but this… this is unheard of!" _Now standing in front of the blonde, the older woman narrowed her eyes. _"Only one thing remains unanswered." _

Without warning, Hikari groped Naruko's breast. Ignoring the shout of protest from her victim, the kunoichi marveled at the feel of the flesh in her hands. _"A-Amazing… if I had not known beforehand… I would believe that this was a real woman!" _Before she could experiment anymore, her hand were slapped away. Looking up, she saw Naruko glaring at her.

"Can you not do that? It feels really weird having your boobs played with when you spend most of your time as a guy. And Yes! Before you try it, this body is _100% _female… trust me on this one." Wrapping her arms around her chest, she gave Rendao a wary glance as he got closer.

"Not only can you copy yourself, you can also transform your physical appearance? This brand of _Ninjutsu _seems to be more like sorcery than anything. Still, only a fool would deny the benefits of such techniques." Looking in between the clones and Naruko, the elder ninja stroked his chin. _"I wonder what other feats the ninja of his world were able to achieve… and if we can do the same."_

Focusing his gaze on Naruko, he approached her. "I've seen and heard enough to know that the ninja of your world are far superior to our own. That being said…" Both Hikari and Naruto were surprised to see the elder kneel before the blond. "…I would be greatly honored if you would share your arts with the Kinkou."

* * *

"_We're finally here…" _Naruto was pushed from his reminiscing as he approached the gates of the Placidium. Walking towards them, he gave the guards on post a nod. Seeing the late night visitor, the guards acknowledged his presence. "Hail traveler, what brings you here this late after sun down?" Hearing the wary tone the guard used, Naruto put his hands up as a sign of peace.

"I've been traveling all day to visit some friends that live here. What's the deal with the gates? Last time I was here they were wide open, even after nightfall." Naruto's suspicions only grew as the guards gave each other a knowing look. Relaxing their stance, they only whispered an apology before guiding him to the smaller service entrance.

Looking confused as the guards left without a word, he continued towards his destination. As he trekked along the quiet city, he noticed a lot more guards out on patrol. _"Somethings definitely not right here… the guard presence has increased by at least three fold since last time I was here. There's also that feeling in the air…" _It felt like everywhere he walked he had to watch his back. The few citizens he did pass looked to be in some kind of hurry.

After a few moments of hurried walking, he finally reached the house he was looking for. Giving a few knocks on the polished surface of the wooden door, he waited. Looking over his shoulder, he suppressed the shiver that went down his spine. _"What the hell is going on here? This feels like one of those shitty horror movies where the killer is always watching you!" _Fingering the handle of one the kunai he had, he knocked of the door again. Hearing it gradually creak open, he saw a head of black hair peek through the opening. Seeing the green eyes of Irelia, he let himself relax.

"Na-Naruto? What are doing here? N-Never mind, come inside!" Before he could respond he was pulled inside the house. Feeling the door slam behind him, he gave Irelia a nervous glance.

"Nice to see you too… Irelia, what's goin on around here? Everyone seems to be all jumpy over something. Also, where's your brother and the old man? I…" Feeling something of his lips, he looked downward to see her finger. Looking up into her viridian eyes, he noticed a look of sorrow on her features.

"Things have… changed since you left Naruto. F-Father he…" Shutting her eyes for a second, she took a deep breath before continuing. "… Father passed away last month due to some illness that overtook him." Seeing the tears that escaped her eyes, Naruto moved forward to console her. Before he could however, she turned her back to him.

"It progressed so fast… I had noticed him coughing but, he always assured us that it was of no concern. Then he started to c-cough up blood and stayed bed ridden all day. Even now, no one knows what caused it… not even that doctor that traveled here from Piltover…" Taking a few moments to re-adjust herself, the woman brushed her arm against her face. "As for Zelos, he left a couple of days ago to seek aid from Demacia."

"_Seek aid from Demacia? Isn't that place on the other side of Valoran? Why is Ionia asking for help in the first place?" _Walking up behind her, Naruto placed a hand on Irelia's shoulder. He was momentarily surprised when she immediately turned and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm so glad you came back! With everything that's going on… I've felt so alone since Zelos left!" Rubbing her back in an awkward manner, Naruto looked down to see the tears running down her cheeks. Hesitantly, he lifted Irelia's chin so that her eyes met his.

"What's going on Irelia? Why did Zelos leave? Does it have something to do with why the gates are closed?" A look of understanding crossed her pale features as she unwrapped her arms from around his body.

"Y-You haven't heard… It all makes sense. Here, sit down while I make us some tea." Doing as she asked, Naruto sat himself down and waited. Hearing Irelia move around the home's small kitchen, he looked around the rest of the house. One thing that was obvious to him was the abundance of items that laid strewn around. The kitchen was cluttered, clothes littered the ground, and even the table he sat at was a mess. Whatever happened must have hit Irelia hard.

Looking at the woman herself, he noticed the same disarray. Her usually straight, jet-black hair looked frazzled. Her skin was looking a lot paler than usual, though it could just be from the moonlight. From the few feet away he was, he could easily make out her red, puffy eyes. Even her pupils didn't shine with the unbreakable resolve he was used to seeing.

"_I guess losing everyone you love in such a short amount of time can do that to you…" _Thinking about his own loss, his mood took a sharp turn. Feeling something hit the table, he looked up to see the cup Irelia set before him. Seeing her stare into her own mug, he waited for her to start. With an exhausted sigh, she took a sip of whatever brew she made and looked back up to him.

"About a week ago, Noxus launched an attack on the southern provinces. It took us almost _three_ days till we even knew of the assault. _Three days _Naruto… that's how long it took them to take Shon-Xan. From the reports that I've heard, Galrin will also soon fall under their control. If they take Navori then they'll have captured Ionia's three wealthiest provinces!"

"Why are they attacking us? From what I know of Ionia, we haven't had a war in like… centuries!"

Shrugging her shoulders, the woman merely took another sip of her warm beverage. "We don't really know… the elders have only speculation to fall on right now. They feel that Noxus is invading us because they don't have to fear any sort of retaliation from Demacia thanks to the ceasefire in place."

"So, Demacia should come and help us then right? Enemy of my enemy and all that non-sense?" It was the obvious answer in Naruto's mind. If Demacia saw its rival picking on another nation, they were obligated to help, right?

"I… I don't think so. The Institute of War has forbidden any more open conflict between the two. That's why Zelos was sent to go ask for aid, we didn't think they'd send any otherwise."

"So this… Institute of War has no problem with them attacking us then? What kind of bullshit is that?!" Seeing the enraged look on her friends face, Irelia looked down to see her reflection in the tea.

"Ionia has no member's to represent us at the Institute. Also, we opted to not participate in their so called league that is being built." She felt that the elders had made the right decision. For over 500 years, except for trade, Ionia had remained largely isolationist. There was no need to partake in the events of the mainland.

"So because we don't wanna play their little games we're left to defend ourselves from a fucking _empire_? Give me one day, I'll make sure that they stop this!" Rising from his seat, Naruto turned from the table and stomped towards the door. Before he could grasp the handle however, he felt a pair of arms around his waist.

"D-Don't be so hasty! The Institute is made up of the most powerful summoners on Valoran! To demand anything of them is a fool's dream!" Hearing the man see was holding chuckle, her face contorted in confusion.

"That's fine by me! I've never been known to be particular smart. And power… that won't be much of an issue." Seeing him reach towards the door latch, she pulled backwards. Tumbling towards the ground together, Irelia climbed on top of Naruto before he knew what was going on. Now straddling him, she held his hands down with her own as theirs faces were only inches apart.

"I won't let you get yourself locked up or killed! The only real ports to the mainland are in the southern provinces. If you go there you'll be killed by the Noxians!" With a stubborn look in his eye, Naruto simply bucked his hips underneath Irelia. Surprised by the force of the thrust, it was easy for Naruto to overpower her. Now on top, he looked at his wrists where he saw she had latched onto.

"Let me go Irelia! If Demacia or the Institute won't do anything, I'll just have to go give them a kick in the ass!" Giving a frustrated growl, she wrapped her legs around his waist. With a defiant gleam in her eyes, Irelia held fast.

"No! Your just one man Naruto! No matter what sort of strength that you _think_ you might have, you can't do it alone! Even if you reach either of those places, what makes you think they'll listen to you?"

"Trust me… I have a way with words!" Growing irritated with her, he lifted himself up onto his feet. Irelia however, chose to keep herself wrapped around him. Trying to push her off of him, they gave each other heated glances._ "Damn! I can't push to hard or I'll risk hurting her!" _As the two continued to struggle, they missed the knocking on the door. Sliding her leg lower on his body, Irelia was able to bring Naruto back on the ground.

"Irelia! Are you ok in there? I heard shouting! Irelia!? I'm coming in!"

Hearing the door burst open, the duo looked towards the entrance. Through it came a young woman dressed in the standard attire of the Ionian guard. With her blade drawn, she stood before the couple. Silence reigned as the rooms inhabitants stared at each other. Seeing the position the two were in, the guard's face became a healthy shade of red.

"I-I'm sorry Irelia! I didn't know your boyfriend was here!" Sheathing her blade, the guard rushed out the house. Hearing the door slam, the two took the time to examine their positions.

"Why are your hands on my butt?" Looking down the length of his arms, Naruto could indeed see that his grip was situated on her backside. Marveling at the sheer size of it, he gave it a quick squeeze.

"H-Hey! Stop playing with my butt!" Realizing what she just said, Irelia quickly sought to end the current situation she was in. Calmly taking hold of Naruto's hands into her own, she focused her gaze on him.

"The point remains, I won't let you leave. If you won't stay because of common sense, then you _will _stay for me. Please Naruto, I've already lost my father, and I don't know if… when Zelos will return. Don't leave me here, _alone_." Watching the fire leave Naruto's eyes, Irelia allowed herself to relax a little.

"_**She makes some interesting point's boy. Do you honestly think those people would listen to some random kid? Furthermore, trying to force their assistance will only end with you having a target on your back. I'll admit that your charisma has helped you in the past, but it looks like we'll be having to get our hands dirty this time."**_

"_Heh… we barely make it alive out of one war, and here we are about to fight in another one. Things __**will **__be different this time around!" _Looking back up to Irelia, Naruto gave her a forced smile. "Fine then… I'll just have to stay and watch your back!" Giving him a soft smile, Irelia nodded in agreement. "Which shouldn't be too hard, seeing how big it is. I can't even fit one side in my hand!"

Feeling her release his hands, Naruto looked up to see Irelia's blank face. Knowing she took his joke the wrong way, he put his hands up in defense. "H-Hey Irelia… It was just a joke, y'know! I actually like big asses! It was a compliment!" Seeing her hands reach for his throat, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"_You know what, fuck it."_

Reaching behind her one more time, Naruto gave the large globes of flesh another squeeze. Hearing her gasp in indignation, he merely shrugged. "Your gonna kick my ass anyways… might as well get something out of it." With a stern glare, Irelia got off Naruto and stomped into another room. _"Maybe she liked it?" _Hearing the shuffle of items, the blond tried to look around the corner Irelia had disappeared around. Arching his eyebrow as he heard her grunt, he pushed himself up onto his forearms.

"You need some help… back… there…" Paling as he saw what she had such trouble lifting, Naruto started to slide back towards the door. "H-Hey Irelia, remember how you said you need me? I can't be here if you stab me with that HUGE ASS SWORD!" The blade was at least half his height.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'm sure after I cut off your arms we won't have to worry about you groping me butt whenever you please. Now, please hold still."

"BUT I'LL BLEED TO DEATH!"

"I'll be sure to bandage your wounds after we're done. But if you keep resisting, then I'm not liable for how… messy things might become."

Jumping to his feet, Naruto gave Irelia a serious look." I see then… you give me no choice then Irelia. Remember, you brought this on yourself!" Taking a cautious step back, she saw him make a strange hand gesture.

"Here it comes! _**Oiroke Gyaku Hāremu no Jutsu**_!" Irelia's eye's shot open as she heard what Naruto called out.

"_Reverse sexy technique? What kind of…" _As the smoke cleared, Irelia froze as she was surrounded on all sides. _"H-How did he conjure a group of naked men here?! What exactly has he been doing the last five months?"_

As the group closed in around her, she had to fight to keep her eyes above their waist. "S-Stay back! Despite its size, I know how to use this sword!"

One of the men took a step forward and gave her a smirk. "It's good to know you're so handy with '_swords' _of all sizes!"

Growling at what the man was implying, she did the only thing she could do. Rearing back, she shot her foot forward with all the power her training provided. Hearing a satisfying squeak, Irelia was surprised when the pervert in front of her disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"_What? So they're really a bunch of illusions?" _Glancing at the rest of the group, she could see that they had reached the same conclusion she had. Frowning, she hefted the massive blade in her hands and charged forward.

Outside, Naruto winced from his position on top of one of the trees. Releasing a sigh, he leaned back and looked up to see the inky darkness of the night sky.

"_**Are you sure that was wise? She'll defiantly ask questions in the morning."**_

Dismissing Kokuō's concern, he kept his gaze on the sky. Looking for the light of the moon, he made himself comfortable on the branch. "_If that's the case, I'm sure she'll have a lot more questions in the coming days."_ Quitting his search for the light, he closed his eyes as his exhaustion finally caught up with him.

"_It looks like there's no such thing as peace in this world either…"_


	5. Noxian Diplomacy

**Noxian Diplomacy**

How did these people get around?

Biting her lip in frustration, Riven glared up at the geographic chart that was pinned on the wall before her. It was times like this where being Infantry paid its dues. The only thing required of her was to kill people. She felt a slight measure of pity for whoever had to figure out suitable supply lines. Momentarily squinting at the map, she swept her gloved hand through her silver hair.

"_This whole area is just one massive mountain range! Besides the coast, everything within eyesight has some sort of elevation. Even the plant-life here is huge! I don't know how logistics is going to figure this out. We may have taken this small area, but how are we going to move forward?_

In a few more days, they would lose the element of surprise. The longer they were stuck in this one location, the more time the Ionians had to prepare. And the more time they had to prepare, the more likely she could end up dead. Hopefully the reports of the island's defenses were accurate. It was only General Du Couteau's shrewd use of his spies that insured the initial assault went as smooth as it did.

From the rumors she had heard, Ionia had always been a topic of discussion amongst High-Command. However, the constant skirmishes with Demacia had always put a damper on any invasion proposals. However, even before the ink had dried on the forced cease-fire. High-Command had already started surveying the island nation for signs of exploitable weaknesses. They found their way in through Ionia's surprisingly robust economy.

Under the guise of simple merchants, Noxian agents spread themselves to almost every main hub on the isle. Within a month, they had a rough outline of the islands most vulnerable locations. By three months, the group had mapped out a majority of the local militia's routes and bases. By the time they were half a year into their surveillance, the operatives had sent a missive back to General Du Couteau. That missive is what led to a division of the army being deployed less than a week later.

Using Bilgewater mercenaries to supplement their own naval forces. They had carried out the strike as soon as nightfall had come. Once they hit land, there had been no words, no calls for the people to surrender. Only the wail of their victims as they carried out their ruthless assault. After the bloodletting was finished, the invasion force had rapidly secured the area.

While they waited for the arrival of the main invasion force. Field officers such as herself had been ordered to study the terrain. She had her suspicions that it was just busy-work. Never the less, she did as she was ordered. Initially she was actually pretty interested to learn the lay of the land. That enthusiasm had soon turned into agitation.

It seemed the more she examined Ionia's landscape, the more irritable she got. Of course, Riven had known that her navigation skills were shoddy at best. Of course she knew how to read a map. She had done the annual training after all. And judging by what she had examined, almost half of the island was uneven terrain. This continued up to about mid-isle. What lied beyond that, she didn't really care to look right now.

Deciding to take a break for a few moments, she took a seat. Looking out of the shattered remains of a window, she gazed at the serene purple hues of the horizon. _"It's already nightfall? Have I been in here this long?" _Moving her auburn eye's back to the laid out parchment, she sighed as she slammed her head on the table.

"_The Ionian's may not have a real military, but with all these restrictive pathways… they won't really need one. I don't even think their local militia would have much trouble picking us off in such tight quarters. Hopefully High-Command is right, and they'll surrender soon."_ Lifting her lightly throbbing head off the table, she focused her vision on her obsidian long-sword. It's gleaming silvery edge in sharp contrast with the rune-imprinted black stone surface.

* * *

Ionia.

From afar, the peaceful island nation looked like an absolute paradise. Even miles away, one could make out the verdant green of its plant life. It was simple to see how much the populace cared for their environment. The way they built the architecture _around _nature, so as not to disturb the life surrounding it. Indeed, to simply call this place beautiful would almost be an insult.

Unfortunately for the people of Ionia, Darius cared little for such trivialities. Where they revered trees that had stood for generations. He saw cover that the enemy could use for an ambush. Where others stood amazed at how high the Navori peaks reached into the sky. Darius could only see oppositional forces roosting in a favorable position.

Standing upon the quarter-deck of one of Noxus's few ships, the hardened soldier impatiently stared at the approaching isle. They had been sailing for the last two days, and he was beginning to grow restless. From afar, few could tell from his grim visage and solid bearing, but Darius had never been one for naval warfare. He had spent most of his years dominating in numerous campaigns against Demacia. All of which, had been land based.

As he felt the crisp air flow through his nostrils, Darius glanced over his armored shoulder at the ship captain. The aged man stood firm against the swaying tides with his arms behind his back. A rigid expression stretched across his bearded face. Sneering at his seemingly aloof attitude, the axe-wielder trudged towards the captain.

"It seems to me that you've forgotten that we're on our way to an invasion! We **will** be on that beachhead before the sun hits it's high point! Unless you have a problem with that? " The grey-bearded caption steeled his nerves and gave a stiff nod. It would do him little good to argue with this man.

"By your order." Turning his attention to his crew members, the captain started barking out commands to all those working on the deck. A pleased smirk stretched across the commander's face as the crew scrambled around him. The sails of the ship expanded as a well-timed gust of wind blew into them. Hurried boots thumped on hollow wood as the crew rushed to complete their assigned task.

"I see you've somehow managed to give these sailors some… incentive. Rightfully so, might I add! I find maritime travel to be so… dreary." Darius had been hoping to avoid his 'guide' for the rest of the voyage. No matter where he went, it seemed as though Friedrich had managed to find a way to aggravate him at every turn. A balding head full of fading brown curls adorned his head. Along with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that adorned his corpulent face. To complete the look, he wore an unusually lavish robe to cover his plump form. The counselor resembled a lot of the Noxian 'royalty' that he'd been gradually eliminating.

Regrettably, using his considerable might would get him nowhere with the counselor. Not only was he one of the few experts on Ionian culture brought on this invasion. He had plenty of allies to call upon in High-Command. Darius could only hope that the petty fool got himself killed… by accident of course. He didn't want to write the report describing how a 'cultural aide' had ended up dead.

Therefore, he gave a grunt in reply to the senior man's question. It was to his misfortune, however, that he asked yet another. "So Darius… how long do you expect this sordid affair to last? From my extensive research on them, the Ionians seem to hold a pacifist ideology. They spend most of their time searching for some sense of spiritual awakening! Also…"

"The Ionians will be crushed within a few months' time. Make no mistakes about that Counselor Friedrich." Interrupting the man by answering his question, the commander tried to remove himself from his agitators company. Hearing the light pattering footsteps, he knew he had been unsuccessful. "Hmm, Interesting… while it is true that the island will succumb in time, my studies suggest that the locals will not simply acquiesce like you military types so mistakenly believe."

If only this worm could hear the grinding of his teeth, surely he would scurry into whatever hole he had come from. "I don't believe I heard you correctly, _Counselor. _I thought I heard you question the might of the Noxus! I find your 'research'lacking if you believe that these idol worshipping peasants can stand before the empire." Towering over the man, Darius sneered as he noticed that his aggressive posture had little effect.

No, instead of cowering before him, Friedrich merely adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and gave him a look that screamed belittlement. "What made you believe that I was discounting our beloved Noxus in anyway? I was merely seeking to divulge that the Ionians have an extensive history of prowess. Indeed, many would think them weak for not experiencing any type of real conflict for the past three centuries. However, these 'peasants' as you so eloquently put it… have been known to practice some of the deadliest arts known to all of Runeterra! Also _commander, _I'll have you know that the Ionian's do not do idol worship! They…"

Drowning the scholar's voice out with his own mounting thoughts, Darius gazed off into the distance. The peaceful atmosphere of the island was contrasted by the fleet that invaded its water's. Soon, the peaceful history the Ionian's had built would be torn asunder. A bloody new chapter would take its place, with Noxus as its author_. _The ink would be the lifeblood of the inhabitants of this island who would _dare _stand before the unyielding juggernaut that was Noxus.

"_Perhaps this Invasion won't be a waste. It will be interesting to see just how lethal these people can be. Once this campaign is finished, there will be nothing stopping me from obtaining General. _

* * *

"Oi! What's the word on the street?"

Shutting the door behind her, she gave her visitor an exhausted look. She couldn't even muster the energy to scold him for 'breaking in'. He knew better, therefore, she would settle for a withering glare. Without another word, she strode towards the back of the household. Stepping through the threshold into her room, the guard unfastened the shoulder straps that held the armor in place.

Shifting to lift the chest piece over her exhausted frame, Irelia rolled her shoulders. Feeling the built up tension in them disperse, she let loose an exasperated breath. It wasn't the weight of the armor that was getting to her. For over two years she had effortlessly drilled in it. It did seem to be getting heavier over the last couple of days though.

No, what was gradually chipping away at her patience was the constant waiting. By now, it had been almost a week since the initial reports had reached them. Days would drag on as the Guard Headquarters awaited updates. Unfortunately, they could only receive messages by bird right now. It was far too dangerous to send a messenger. For every sunrise that traversed the horizon, the general mood amongst the city-dwellers would diminish.

Glancing out the window, she felt her eyes narrow as she spotted the radiance of the sun. Her current attitude wasn't helped by the way the weather contradicted the current situation. Undoubtedly, the coastal side of Navori was being steadily overran by murderous assailants. However, the sun stayed as brilliant as she expected it to during the summer months. Diverting her eyes, she concentrated on the current task. Besides, staring at the sun would hurt her more than it.

Pulling the last article of the garb off, Irelia set her armguards next to the rest of the set. Watching as the light of the sun reflected off its polished surface, she traced her hand over the red and white ensemble. Her own reflection greeted her as she stared into the cold metal of the breastplate. Lost in its gleam, her mind wondered back to the day Zelos left for Demacia.

"_The scouts have spotted what looks to be multiple warships off our coast. Each of them flying the combined flags of both Noxus and Bilgewater. It is as the Elders feared… The Noxians are going to launch an attack on us, the cowardly bastards! They can't fight with Demacia anymore, so they come after us." The younger sibling stayed seated, watching her brother pace around in concern. _

"_Look Irie, a group of us are going to sail across the ocean. Hopefully an appeal for aide will bring Demacia to our side. Otherwise…" Refusing to finish the sentence, he pulled Irelia into a firm hug. Enjoying the comfort of each others warmth, Zelos wished he didn't have to leave his sister the way he was._

"_While I'm gone, it's up to you and the others to defend our home! If you can hold out for a couple of weeks, then I can promise that we __**will **__come back with reinforcements." For all his bravado, Zelos wasn't a fool. He knew that alone, Ionia stood little chance against the Noxian Empire. But with Demacia by their side, they're chances increased substantially._

"_Zelos…" Hearing his name being whispered into the air, the man directed his gaze at the source. "You will come back right? I… To lose both father and you so close together, I…" Her shoulder's fell as her shoulders began to shake. Trying to hold back her sobs, it was obvious that it was a wasted effort. Hearing a chuckle, Irelia lifted her head to see Zelos with a knowing grin adorning his visage._

"_Well look it here! Little Irie is crying… have you no faith in your big bro? They didn't give me this rank for no reason! Of course I'll be back! I can't leave Ionia in your hands forever, can I? Otherwise, I fear all hope really is lost…" The mirth is his voice caused her mood to lift, if only a little. It was soon after that a lone finger made its way up her cheek, wiping away a stray tear._

"_Stay strong, little sister… No matter what happens, the will of Ionia will prevail! You'll see… don't come crying when you owe me lunch for a whole year!"_

Blinking away the tears that threated to spill, she gave the uniform one last look before turning away. Now left only in some loose fitting pants and a sleeveless shirt, Irelia made her way back to the front. As she had thought, Naruto was still lounging in the same position he had been in when she had first arrived. As was the routine, he gave her that foxy grin that usually put her at ease.

Lately however, she had begun to wonder about him. The morning after he arrived back in the city, she had battered him with questions. What were those copies he made? How did he make them? Where had he gone on his 'trip' around Ionia? The more questions she asked, the faster Irelia came to an unsettling truth. She didn't really know much about Naruto Uzumaki.

Sure, she knew a few things about him. His favorite food, his favorite color, hobbies, etc. These qualities, she had found out the first _week _they had known each other. What she didn't know is what made Naruto, Naruto. She knew nothing about what province he came from. What his past was like, or if he was even from Ionia at all. It was almost as if he purposely avoided talking about anything remotely pertaining to him. It was time to change that, while they still _had _the time.

Taking a seat across from him at the table, she simply stared into his eyes. Every time she looked into them, she was reminded of the times where she had been to the shore. The rich cerulean that was the ocean perfectly described those blue orbs of his. Continuing her unflinching gaze, she noted the way his cheeks started to flush.

"So uh, about what I said earlier…" he started, but was briskly cut off by Irelia.

"Nothing significant to report. The Noxians continue to push into Navori, but their pace remains sluggish. Likely because the mountains work as a natural defense for us. We'll likely be sent out to defend those areas soon, but…" Using her elbows for stability, she propped her head up on the palms of her hands. The expectant look on her face was quickly making him nervous. "… We can talk more about that later. Instead, let's talk about you."

"_This again? I swear this happens every time we're alone together."_

"_**Typical… a hot babe wants to get to know you more and you complain."**_

Feigning confusion, he responded to her "What do you mean? Why do you wanna talk about me?" The uncertain tone in his voice was apparent. That didn't stop her from narrowing her eyes however. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "Alright, Alright! Just stop with the dirty looks already! Geez…" Copying her earlier motion, he propped his head up on only one of his hands. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Good, he wasn't going to try and change the subject or use some perverted tactic to make her forget, again. "Naruto." Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued, "Look, we've know each other for almost half a year. Within in that time, most of it was spent sparring or getting to know one another. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that you never really talk about yourself. You know _a lot _more about me than I can even begin to guess about you… that's not fair, don't you agree?"

On the outside, he had a look of calm understanding. Internally however, his mind was racing to find a way to distract her. While she was right, he had been avoiding any topics about him for a reason. Telling your friend that you came from another world is not exactly a conversation starter. At least, not a conversation he wanted to be part of.

"_**Looks like she has you this time. You had to expect that sooner or later she was going to corner you. And I don't think commenting on her ass is going to get you out of it this time. What will you do now?" **_Hearing Kurama's almost giddy tone caused Naruto to clench his teeth. "_Well instead of sitting back and watching the show. How about you help!" _He could almost hear Shukaku's barking laugh. And Kurama was of no help either, traitorous bastards. To his relief however, Kokuō came to the rescue.

"_**Why is it wrong if she knows the truth? I won't pretend to fully comprehend the intricacies of human emotions. However, I do believe that your kind typically don't take too well to being deceived." **_Naruto's brows furrowed as the even-toned voice of the Gobi echoed through his mind. He made a strong point, as usual. He felt he could trust Irelia, but how far was he willing to take that? Next to Soraka (and maybe Karma), she was the only other person on Runeterra who he felt he could trust.

Glancing at his companion's patient features, he gave her a weak smile. _"I'm sorry Irelia… but it is bad enough the Elders __**and **__the Kinkou know that I'm not from here. No one else needs to know… then they'll start asking even more questions." _Maybe one day, he could reveal just how he ended up on Runeterra. But that day, was not today. Nor would it be anytime in the future if he had anything to say about it.

"Your right… It's not fair, and I'm sorry for acting like a secretive asshole." The accepting nod of her head let him know he had her full attention. "I didn't mean to hide who I am like some kind of creep. It's just that…" His features fell as his gaze shifted towards the table. "Talking about the past is pretty painful for me, y'know? I lost everyone that was precious to me." Taking a moment to collect himself, he continued.

"As you probably figured out already, I'm not from Ionia." The abrupt shift of her brows told him otherwise. "The place I'm from is… was a… island called Konohagakure. I guess the easiest way to explain it is that my home got caught in a huge ass war. Needless to say, we lost… _everybody lost_." The last part was spoken barely above whisper. "After we got our asses kicked, I came here, to Ionia. I was hoping that I could escape the past, but it looks like that ain't happing now, huh?" Seeing the pang of guilt that struck Irelia, he quickly finished. "Y'know, with those assholes from Noxus attacking us and stuff…"

A cough echoed across the room as Irelia covered her mouth. It was mostly a ruse to hide the shame that was visible on her face. She honestly hadn't expected his story to be so, brief. But with what he had apparently been through, was there anything else she needed to know? She wanted to ask for more details, but asking someone to recall how their home was destroyed was cruel in her mind. There was one detail that seemed suspicious too her, though.

"This 'Kono-ha-gakure'?" A nod let her know she was correct. "I've never heard of it. My entire life has been spent here, but I've studied the other nations that make up Valoran. I don't think that place is on any map I've seen? N-Not that I mean to question you or anything! It's just…" A raised hand stopped her rambling. Thinking see had offended him, she was reluctant to meet his gaze.

"Ehh…that's not surprising. My home is a long way from here… a _really really_ long way. I would be more surprised if you had heard of it." With a look that was somewhere between a grimace and a smile, he continued. "Is there anything else you want to ask me? I think we've dealt enough with my past, don't cha think?." He knew that she would likely feel worse from his question. The goal wasn't to hurt Irelia, but the sooner she stopped digging, it would be better for the both of them.

Personally, Naruto didn't really consider himself a great liar. Jiraiya had once told him that his emotions were too transparent. That he 'wore his heart on his sleeve's'. Not exactly a desired attribute for a trained assassin. However, as usual, even his late sensei had underestimated him. It was because of his brash attitude that he was so good at deceit. People didn't expect the 'Number one hyperactive knuckle headed ninja' to put up such a strong front.

"_I guess years of being an outcast and tricking people came in handy after all…" _Staring at his friend's stricken face, he knew she wouldn't intrude any further, at least for now. "_Maybe one day Irelia… but I doubt it. It's better if what happened remains forgotten." _The sound of outsides activities drifted across the room as neither made a sound. Noticing that she wasn't going to continue, Naruto decided it was the time for a change of pace. "So, what's for dinner? I haven't had ramen for a good day or so…" Knocked from her trance, Irelia looked up into her guest's nonchalant features.

"_That's it? I thought he would be angry with me! He tells me how his previous home was effectively wiped out… and then moves on to those noodles?!" _The look of disbelief she wore was quickly replaced by relief. _"Perhaps I should consider myself lucky then." _The ramblings of what flavor of ramen they should eat continued to fill the room. Content with how things turned out, Irelia just sat back and listened. _"I'll have to be a lot more careful about how I proceed. He may act like he's ok, but that kind of trauma doesn't just go away…"_

She didn't know why she was pressing so hard. It wasn't like Naruto was some life-long friend. The only real common bond they had was their one-sided rivalry. Maybe it was his similarities to Zelos. Perhaps that was also why he was her closest male friend. Some guys were intimidated by her brother. For most though, getting too close with _Master _Lito's daughter was just not worth the risk.

"_But not you… it's almost like you never even registered Father as a threat. Even when he would stare you down. That's almost unheard of! The Captain even faltered slightly when he met Father. Maybe you just didn't care…" _

"So we goin or what? The glory of ramen wait's for no man… woman… people?"

"_Or maybe you're just too much of a fool."_

Judging by her deadpan expression, he wasn't doing himself any favors. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure the place where they serve it is closing soon." A slow nod of her head was all the answer he needed. Watching him briskly make his way towards his shoes, her smile faded.

"_Doubting him seems wrong, but I'm sure someone would have heard of an entire civilization being wiped out? I don't believe he's trying to be malicious…" _Watching the object of her curiosity slip on his sandals, her eyes narrowed. _"But his answer was too general. His home may have been destroyed… but by who, and why? And how did he manage to survive where all his allies apparently died?_

"You coming or what? Remember, ramen…"

"Waits for no one. Yes, I remember." Rising to her feet, Irelia made her way to her own footwear next to the exit.

"_The only thing you've left me with are even more questions, Naruto." _With an audible click, the door opened. A modest smile graced her face as she thanked the monk for his show of chivalry. Walking parallel to each other, she watched him from the edge of her vision. The lazy look he wore didn't reveal much to her. Whatever he was hiding, she wouldn't uncover it by sight alone.

"_Maybe it is as Father once said. The brightest of lights can sometimes hide the darkest of shadows within them."_

* * *

He was going to kill him… that much was for certain. After being stuck on a boat with the diminutive intellectual for almost a week. Darius had thought he could at least force himself to tolerate Friedrich. That was before he had learned of the Division Commanders orders. He was to lead part of the 88th 'Thundering Axe'. His orders were to take lead over 3,000 of Noxus's finest on a campaign to secure Galrin. It seemed as though the Ionian's had discovered their little ruse.

It mattered little however, he would kill any who opposed him. Make it so the trees would gather sustenance from the blood they would spill. Those under his command hungered for war, for domination. The Noxian High-command demanded it, and would accept nothing less. Soon, the Ionians would kneel before the might of the empire.

Or so it would be if that fool Friedrich wasn't being sent with him. He had been given distinct orders to accommodate whatever request his 'advisor' may have. So far, those 'request' were impeding on his ability to carry out the mission. Frankly, it was embarrassing to be taking any type of request from a man who'd never likely seen bloodshed in his life.

"Now remember Commander, we should aim to preserve as much of the infrastructure as we can. The natives have spent centuries building these landmarks! Oh ho! That coastal settlement was just a taste of what this Island has to offer!" The short academic seemed quite excited to explore without his protection. Maybe there was some merit to that thought… perhaps one of the locals would find him and slit his throat. Given their pacifist nature, he found it unlikely. Such a shame.

If that weren't enough, the route he was forced to take was a tactical nightmare. The 'roads' the Ionians used were little more than paved trails. On each side they were surround by dense woodlands or towering highlands. Not to mention the width of the paths themselves. They were barely spacious enough to accommodate a ten man element. Perhaps his advisor knew a remedy to his problems.

"You! You're supposed to be an expert on everything about these people's so called 'culture' correct?" His gruff voice easily overtook the smaller man's own. "Is there a way to circumvent these routes?! At any moment the enemy could ambush us! We've been marching through this valley for _three days_! Surely there is another way? I refuse to be caught with my back turned." There had to be, he wouldn't accept any other answer. At the current rate, the entire brigade could take weeks to cross the basin. Weeks the Ionian's had to prepare an ambush.

In a display of petty frustration at being cut off, Friedrich adjusted his glasses. "I'm afraid not Commander. With their predilection towards nature, the Ionians prefer to build _with _nature, not _around _it. Therefore, you aren't liable to find wider roads until we reach one of the major cities, I…" Again, he was cut off by the commanding tone of his 'protector'.

"Unacceptable! The enemy could be in those hills right now, and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it! If you can't even provide me with an alternate solution, what reason do I have to keep you around then, _advisor_?"

"Do not place blame on me because you are incompetent…" the scholar's scathing tone made Darius's form go stiff. Noticing the change in his posture, Friedrich hastily continued. "Let me remind you that I am here by order of the High-Command. Without us accompanying you military types, you'd simply ravage this entire island. So I'd suggest that you control that vile temper of yours, Commander!" Yet again, the balding man removed his glasses in order to clean them. "You _need me_… whether you like it or not."

For those that knew the man, watching Darius reel in his anger was an amazing feat. Were the advisor a man of lesser rank, he'd be reminded of his place. Usually the prize for such insubordination was a highly visible scar. One would think with Noxus's reputation the offender would simply be killed instead. However, the scar (or maiming, when appropriate) served a dual purpose. One was a warning those foolish enough to repeat such actions. The other was to remind the soldier themselves the price of their defiance.

Alas, separating the man's head from his body would have to wait for another day. They both knew that he was untouchable. However… "You are correct advisor…" As a smug grin adorned his face over his perceived victory, Friedrich nodded in agreement. "But you forget…" Without warning, the smaller man felt his supply of air suddenly become scarce. The clatter of his glasses against the ground went unnoticed as the soldiers continued their ceaseless march.

Terror shot through the scholar's body as his face gradually came closer to his guards. Being lifted two feet in the air made him realize just how small he was compared to Darius, how _insignificant_. As he was brought less than a breath away from the man, he wondered if he had pushed a _little_ too far. Of course, he was no fool… Friedrich knew just how easily he could have an 'accident' in hostile territory.

The dark eyes of his probable murderer bared down upon him. Searching his being for the only thing he could offer him, _fear. _As long as he could find it, Friedrich knew he had no true authority over the commander. And who was he to deny him? Already, the edges of his vision closed in upon him. The oxygen his body so desperately needed being slowly choked from him.

As his life drained away at an agonizingly slow pace, Darius kept searching. Why? Was the terror that racked his form not enough? Was he really going to strangle him while the troops marched pass them, unconcerned with his situation? Thankfully his pleas were answered by the shifting of the grip around his abused throat. Although he was still dangling in the air, it was a slight improvement to not dying. It seemed Darius had found what he was searching for.

"These aren't the halls of the Noxian council rooms that give you the illusion of safety." Again, he felt his windpipe become constricted by the massive hand around his neck. "And even if they were… there is nothing to stop me from ending your pathetic existence." Disgust marred Darius's face as he saw the tears that spilled from the wretches beady eyes. Dropping him to the ground in a pitiful heap, he lifted his cleaver from the dirt. Without any sign of effort, he slung the massive weapon across his shoulder.

"N-N-Now let us not be t-to hasty Lord Darius! I-I'm sure that we can…" Just watching the light of the sun reflect on its wicked edge made him whimper. Swallowing down his fear for a moment, he continued. "I'm sure we can come to some type of agreement! You said that we needed to find an alternate route, yes? Allow me the chance to examine my chart and I'm sure I can find a way!" The stoic look on the larger man's face made it difficult to discern what he was thinking. He would take the fact that he hadn't been spilt in two as a good sign though.

"Hmmph… Scurry, weakling. I expect you to have a viable option by the time we next speak." Darius didn't do much to hide the contempt on his face. It was slightly amusing to watch the man capitulate after a small show of force. However, it also reminded him of the weakness that infested the higher echelons of Noxian society. It seemed no matter how many he slew, vermin like Freidrich still existed.

Watching the 'advisor' disappear into the ranks of seemingly endless soldiers, Darius returned to strategizing against the inevitable conflict with the Ionian Militia. That was until he heard the clatter of boots behind him. "Speak…" He had no desire for further conversation at the moment.

"Sir, Lieutenant Jonston reporting! We still have had no contact with any of the locals yet. Some of the homes we've seen looked to have been abandoned." The only acknowledgment he received was a barely noticeable nod. Hesitating for a moment, Jonston opened his mouth again. "Sir, uh… I don't mean to question your judgement, by why did you spare him? Isn't he just a liability?" Apparently, the regular Noxian ground troops didn't think much of the nobility either.

Not really expecting an answer, the Lieutenant prepared to return to the formation. He was surprised however, when he heard his commanding officer reply to his inquiry.

"I have my orders…"

* * *

"Hell yeah! That's my fourth one already! You'd better pick up the pace if you want to prove how much better swords are to axes!"

Over the sounds of the ongoing bloodshed, Riven could faintly hear the banter between the soldiers. They seemed to take genuine pleasure in killing, almost as if it was a game. Without even turning her head, she could see the wielder of a bloodied Claymore start to snarl. Tightening the grip on his weapon, he charged forward with renewed vigor. It was now a hunt for the next unfortunate victim that happened to cross his path.

She found such behavior to be unbecoming of those who took up the profession of arms. The words of the drill instructor still rang true in her head. Mercenaries were little more than a blade for hire. No morals… no code… the only thing that drove them was their greed and bloodlust. While one could argue the same applied to a soldier, there was one quality that separated the two.

Discipline.

The two that were keeping 'score' completed the same basic training she had. Did they not internalize the lessons that they had all learned? Perhaps they enjoyed such acts before being conscripted. Fighting with such people left a bad taste in her mouth. None the less, there was little she could do right now.

With a deep breath, the Field Officer cleared her mind of such thoughts. The only thing that truly mattered is that they followed her orders. More importantly, she still had her own task to complete. The small town that her platoon had struck was nearly under Noxian control. After barely an hour of conflict, her first conquest was almost complete. It was time to finish the job.

Initially, she had sent half of her platoon to take the northern half of the town. She then personally led the rest into a swift victory on the southern end. All hostiles who didn't stay and fight had fled to the north. Though they were the enemy, Riven couldn't help but respect their efforts. The few that could actually wield a blade had been cut down before they could even raise. Still, they chose to die on the battlefield rather than on their knees.

Making her way to the other side, she caught up with a part of the group that had been with her. With a swift motion of her hand, they fell into line formation and trekked past the smoldering ruins of the town. Within minutes, they had reached what looked to be the residential block of the community. Posted on the corner were a couple of the troops she had sent forward. Once they caught sight of her, they immediately tensed up.

Approaching the nearest warrior, she could see the unease on his face. Standing above the crouched soldier, Riven addressed him. "Report. I sent a dozen of you to secure this side of town. I only see four. Are the rest still engaging the enemy, or…?" Trailing off at the end, she knew that the sentence didn't need to be finished. The anxious look on the soldiers face likely meant casualties.

Swallowing his apprehension, the subordinate replied. "I-I don't know ma'am. We chased the stragglers to this block and split up just in case more came this way. The other eight have been MIA for at least half an hour. Those damn Ionian cowards! They have to be hiding… just waiting to jump us! The others must have…" Whatever he was about to say was promptly stopped by a brutal haymaker to the jaw.

"Shut your fucking mouth and fall in line Corporal! If they ARE hiding, then we'll just have to hunt them like the vermin they are." Turning to his commanding officer, the sergeant looked for approval. "Right ma'am? I doubt the others fell to these peasants, but…" But, they still had to investigate. The captain of Fury Company wouldn't want to hear that they had eight MIA.

"That is correct." Pausing for a moment, Riven peered down the road to plan a route of entry. Of her original 24 man platoon, she still had 14. It was unlikely the enemy had ranged weapons, as none of the hostiles on the southern side wielded any. Odds were that the survivors were holed up in some of the houses. Which meant that they would have to storm each home.

"Sergeant, I want you to take seven of the men and head down the left side of the block. I'll lead the other half down the right." She couldn't really make out his facial features under the standard issue helmet. But the incline of his head gave her all the answer she needed.

"Rules of engagement ma'am?"

"It's been almost half an hour since those eight have been seen. I don't believe the locals would take hostages. It would be too much trouble…" Closing her eyes, she could feel the weight of her position. "If you meet _any _type of resistance, terminate it immediate." With Rune-blade in hand, the woman focused her orange eyes on the road ahead.

* * *

"Father, are they gone? Can we leave now?"

A grunt was all the response Kai Wen received. How long had they sat there?

Minutes?

Hours?

Only the thought of his family escaping to safety kept him in his current position. So he sat, clinging to the darkness of the shadows like a child to their mother's leg. Hiding in the blackness that was the shed they stored their tools in. Cowering from the murderers who had swept through his home like a plague. Where had it all gone wrong?

Today had begun much like any other morning. He awoke from his slumber later than he should have. Then went through his daily routine of lazing about. Life was simple in Ānyì. They didn't get too many visitors, being on the opposite side of the Navori Mountains and all. He had spent the last 15 years of his life in this town. And it would seem he would die in it too.

"_Not if I can help it! I-I'll kill at least a dozen of those murderous bastards."_

There had to be at least a hundred of them. Everything happened so fast. He could feel the splinters from the grip of his wooden sickle dig into his sweaty palms. With a whisper, he tried his father again.

"Father! We should go! The others have likely fled too! Those Nixians or whatever you called them will _slaughter _us if we're found!" Again, his concerns were waved off like an annoying gnat. Luckily, the other inhabitants of the shed agreed.

"Kai Wen's right! It's been almost an hour… I'm sure your wife and the rest have made it to safety. We should…"

"No! The nearest town is not for another six miles. We have to stay and buy them some more time!"

"At the expense of our own lives?! We barely took down the group that chased us! It took almost twelve of us to kill eight of them! When their allies find the bodies, death will be the only escape for us. Please…we should run while we still have the chance!"

Kai Wen hoped that his father would listen. They stood no chance against such might. Just over an hour ago, he had been mock fighting with Maku. What seemed like seconds later, Maku had an axe driven into his back. He hadn't even looked back when his childhood friend had been cut down. There was no order to surrender. They just kept killing.

"Damn it all! I knew there was something up when we saw the smoke coming from the coast! But this…" Shaking his head, Ketsu felt the pressure in his jaw build as he grit his teeth. Why did they look to him for direction? He was just a farmer like the rest of them. The tension in the room was as thick as the darkness that hid them.

"_Perhaps they are right?_ _They should have made it pass the ravine by now… we can catch up to them if we leave right now." _From his position near the entrance, he could barely see the road outside. No one had come within the last half-hour or so. They should be safe now, right?

"Alright then, let's hurry!" Shaky hands gripped the cold steel of the door handle. Steadying his grip, he prepared himself.

His internal debate was for naught however, as the group of five men heard voices outside. The heavy clatter of their boots were an omen of what was to come. They stood there, crowded in the shed, as a muffled feminine voice reverbed off the wooden walls. They were too late… _He _was too late.

Kai Wen heard the voice, and with that voice, his hopes shattered.

_Thump…_

He couldn't _hear_ much now, save for his own heartbeat. He could _feel _the pounding of the earth as their killers ran by.

_Thump… Thump…_

He could _see _the outline of his father's form. And the way it crumpled after the shed door was suddenly kicked in.

_Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…_

The slick redness that coated his father's weapon left a noticeable _smell_ upon the enclosure. Even after he'd hit the ground, he had used the rusted axe he wielded to cleave into their attacker's unarmored thigh. Kai Wen had never really liked the sight of blood. But… he couldn't help but feel a sick pleasure at watching the invaders essence mingle with the dirt. That feeling died however, just like his father did when the sledge of another man came down upon his skull.

It was a strange thing. In an instant, his father's head just ceased to exist. Kai Wen wondered if it would have been more merciful to just behead him. In his current state, there was no real 'head'. The force of the blow had exposed his father's cranial cavity to the world.

_Thump...Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…_

It seemed the others weren't expecting such violence either. That hesitation caused one of the other's, Kigen, to also face a grisly death. He didn't expect anyone to live with having their chest caved in like that. Even when the body was sent soaring in his direction from the force alone, he couldn't move.

How long had it been?

One second? An hour?

And did it really matter? In that time, his father's brain was strewn across half the room. Not to mention the body that was now weighing him down. Was this Kigen's blood that was coating his hand?

At the very least, he could take comfort in knowing that the blood of Ketsu's murderer would also paint the walls in a healthy coat of crimson. The other two men that still lived fell upon the hammer wielding behemoth in a frenzy. He didn't know what they had in hand, but by the time he fell his neck barely held his head to his body.

Now there was only one of them left. Rising to his feet, he gripped the sickle harder than ever. Whether it was blood from his nails digging in his skin, or the blood from Kigen, he didn't know. These things didn't matter at the moment. Only the women that guarded the pathway to his freedom. She would have to die.

It seemed like the other two agreed, as they tried to rush her. He would help! Surely he would be able to cut her at _least _once. Rushing forward, he felt his vision suddenly become overwhelmed by a flash of pale green. It had lasted for only a moment, but by then, it was already over. Though thing started to get blurry, he could make out the bifurcated forms of the other two.

_Thump… Thump… … Thump… … …_

The only thing that remained was the eerie glow of the massive blade the women wielded. The contrast it had with her fiery orange eyes brought him to a realization. These weren't people, they were demons. Black armor, cruel weapons, and an even crueler disposition. There was no way they could be human.

With a hacking cough, he could _taste _the blood as it pooled into his mouth. When had he been hit? A quick glance downward exposed the gash that ran across most of his torso. Is that how he ended up on the ground? Was he going to die?

_Thump… … … Thump… …_

Those eye's…

They still pierced into his own. Perhaps the demon wasn't done with him yet? Her monstrous black longsword illuminated the darkness of the shed. Was he going to be sacrificed to the blade? It seemed getting cut into two wasn't such a bad option now.

He was getting tired now… the darkness that swallowed his vision was actually welcomed. It felt like he was going to sleep after a hard day helping his father in the fields.

Finally, those orbs which plagued him diverted their attention to one of the other demons on the ground. It seemed as though his father didn't fatally wound the thing. A shame…

"_T-Two for f-five huh…? N-Not too bad… I…" _

* * *

"F-Fuck me… Is it bad?"

Stabbing her weapon into the blood saturated soil, Riven knelt down to inspect the wound. Copious amounts of blood soaked the black leather trousers that he wore. Lucky for him, the cut missed his Femoral artery. It was a bit more than a flesh wound, but he'd survive with a proper tourniquet.

Standing back up, she walked past the entrance of the shed. "You'll live for now. Stay here while I go secure the rest of the area. I'll return with the medic." She didn't need to see his face to know he wasn't exactly thrilled to be left behind. Or maybe it was the still warm bodies that occupied the same space he did?

Sheathing her obsidian blade into her back strap, Riven stepped back out into the open. Looking down the other side of the street, she could see the sergeant carrying another wounded soldier. Judging by the six other forms that followed him, he hadn't experienced any casualties. It was fortunate, there had been enough death in the span of just this one hour alone.

Out of the original 24 she had led into this town, only 13 made it out alive. She personally found that outcome to be unacceptable. Leadership wouldn't really care though. She had completed her mission, and more importantly, stayed alive. That much couldn't be said for the others that had perished.

She wouldn't admit it, but even she was startled at the viciousness those men had shown. The sight of them hacking into the neck of the deceased soldier had been… gruesome, to say the least. She was so used to clashing blades with adversaries who wouldn't flinch even when they themselves had been grievously wounded. However, those men had cowered only briefly before rushing for the kill. The way they tore into the deceased reminded her of a cornered animal with only its life left to lose.

Hardly noticing the sergeant's questions, Riven absentmindedly nodded her head as the groups she sent out reported their findings. Seven KIA, one less than she had expected. All hostiles terminated, an inevitable, but predictable end to the conflict. Two wounded who could become liabilities should they be attacked, but she wouldn't leave them behind. Muttering some orders, her subordinates scrambled to complete their new task.

Now alone in the middle of the empty road, she removed her helm. A casual glance at the sun informing her how early it still was. Not even noon and a town of approximately four-dozen had been wiped out. She wasn't worried about any stragglers. By now, the rest of Fury Company had reached the next outpost some miles away.

Letting her own breath join the breeze that blew pass, she pushed her ungloved hand through her short silvery hair. _"It shouldn't take us more than two hours to catch up with the rest of the regiment. Hopefully they've had more luck than I have. Barely a month here and we're already being stopped by restrictive pathways and men with farm tools." _She was hopeful that High-Command would seek to finish this invasion as soon as possible. The longer it went on, the more the Ionians were likely to fight back. If only out of sheer spite.

She had learned something this day. Most of the men she'd slain up until now had some kind of martial training. Like Noxus, Demacia also required military service from all able bodied citizens. But these men, they had little experience in the art of war. The fear of death and adrenaline were the only things that guided their frantic strikes.

While she contemplated, her squad had formed up before her. Ready for the next order. With but a wave of her hand, the sergeant directed the remainder of the platoon to set out. Following closely behind, she paused to re-set her helm. Now hidden behind the veil of untarnished steel, she made her way to the front of the formation. She still had a platoon to lead.

* * *

"Ahh~ Lieutenant! I've been expecting you! I trust that little blip on the map is firmly is Noxian hands now, yes?" Sitting before Riven was the Brigade Commander. She was responsible for all operations conducted in pursuit of Shon-Xan. Indirectly, all of Riven's tasks came from this woman.

Her pale features seemed to pair nicely with the rough grays of her leather attire. It wasn't standard issue, but once someone attained such a high-rank, standards weren't much of a concern anymore. Raven tresses which nearly tickled her thighs were also strictly against the regulations. But it did frame her delicate features rather nicely.

Riven idly thought about how such a women reached so high in the Chain of Command at such a relatively young age. She wasn't more than a decade older than herself. Perhaps her position spoke of a more ruthless nature. Now days, it wasn't _who_ you were anymore. It was _what _you could do that mattered.

Seeing one of the thin eyebrows of the commander rise, Riven remembered why she was there. Pinning her arms to her sides, she stood at attention. "Yes ma'am. We suffered eleven casualties, but, as you said, the town to the south has been captured." Before she could continue her report, the brunette before her stood and approached her.

"Excellent Lieutenant… actually, what is your name dear? Addressing such a superb officer by her rank is so… impersonal." Riven made no protest has she felt the Commander lift her helm from her head. "There! Oh~ aren't you the pretty one? Such strong eyes! They remind me of the flames that will cleanse this island of its infestation!" Setting the helmet on her desk, the woman took her hands and placed them on her cheeks.

"Your name dear?"

"S-Sorry Ma'am. My name is Riven, Field Commander operating under Fury Company. I…"

"Riven hmm? I knew you looked familiar! I remember when General Kraftig placed the blade you carry into your hands. Why, you're a regular celebrity amongst the Company Grade officers!" It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep calm while they were so close. Pale ruby eyes bored into her own smoldering orange. It didn't help that she was skirting her sharp nails across her supple cheeks.

"And… call me Mariska." Continuing to stroke the younger woman's tan face, Mariska gave her a knowing smile before taking a seat on her desk. "Behind that _lovely_ face of yours, I can tell you're a smart one dear. I bet you've asked yourself, what happened to Captain Kevan, right?" Her question was answered by a swift nod of her subordinates head. "Alas, that poor fool led a charge that ended up with him choking on his own blood!" A giggle that betrayed the nature of her laughter rang across the room. "It was quite the spectacle! Watching that steel rain pierce into their flesh! Those Ionians seem to have a back bone after all!"

An uncomfortable look settled across the Lieutenant's face as her superior continued to laugh. Hearing how your allies bled out in an ambush wasn't exactly amusing to her. The echoes of Mariska's chuckles died down as she calmed herself.

"Their corpses are still there, in that narrow gulch. Why, with all the bodies piled up there, we should rename it once we take over. I think the Blood Gulch has a nice ring to it!" Running her hand through her ebony locks, an irritated scowl marred her pretty features. "Still, with the way the roads are set up, it'll take weeks to get suitable reinforcements! Not to mention artillery… as always, men find some way to screw everything up!"

Resting her hands on her slender hips, Mariska adopted a pensive look. "Hmm… with the only known passage being a definite kill zone, it looks like we'll just have to wait. Or…" The twisted grin on her face looked almost natural, given her nature. "I can just send more bodies until those peasants run out of arrows!" Riven was quick to hide the grimace that would have undoubtedly displayed her disgust at the suggestion. "But… sustainable casualties aside, even I would have trouble explaining that to High-Command."

A disappointed sigh escaped her lips. "I guess we're all slaves to the flows of time in the end, aren't we my dear?"

Sauntering over to one of the shattered windows, she gazed down at the mass of troops below her. "All I have here is infantry. I'll have to send out a requisition for the heavy-armor battalion to come supplement us. What a bother…" Cradling her elbow in one hand, the woman turned around and gave a lazy wave of her arm.

"For now, go and join the others and make sure that they're ready for when we receive new guidance." With a huff, she rolled her eyes. "Whenever that time comes…"With a salute, Riven prepared to carry out her orders. Before she could turn however, a thought struck her.

"Ma'am"

"Yes dear? Were my orders not clear?" The slight narrowing of her thin eyebrows alerted Riven that she didn't have much time.

"No Ma'am, Your orders will be carried out. It's just that… we had to leave the fallen back in the last town and…"

"And? If they were weak enough to be felled by these low-borne insects, then they can rot for all I care. Remember dear, only the strong survive!"

That was right. How could she forget? It was those words that kept her going when thoughts of mercy or the ethics of what she was doing clouded her mind. It didn't sit well with her, but the commander was right. Those men had underestimated the enemy, and paid with their lives.

With one last salute, the Lieutenant marched out of the makeshift office.

* * *

"Listen up!"

The voice of the Captain echoed throughout the clearing that his audience occupied. The deep baritone voice acting as a beacon for the crowd's attention. Watching them settle down, Guard Captain Touzi waited patiently to begin his announcement. A slow sweeping look across the amphitheater showed just how many were attendance. The numbers easily exceeded the hundreds.

Before him stood almost a quarter of the total force. The collective eyes of over a thousand men and women that looked to him for guidance. With the threat that plagued his home, it was a heavy mantle to bear. Touzi idly wondered if any of his predecessors had to deal with such upheaval. Unlikely, as Ionia hadn't been a part of any major conflicts for centuries.

"_And now it falls upon me to defend against an enemy with numbers that outpace ours by at least ten-fold!"_

As he straightened himself out, he took note of the silence that now permeated the air. With a few brisk paces, he was now centered on the stage.

"Before we begin, I want to extend my gratitude to all those is service of our homes defense." Though he stood before a crowd of over a thousand, none had trouble hearing his words. "With that being said, it is time I disclose as to why I assembled you all here. There has been much speculation about what's been going on, and I would like to clear that up." Everywhere he gazed, looks of anticipation met him.

"In case you haven't been made aware, we are currently locked in a war with the Noxian Empire." One would expect an uproar at this point, however, the group remained silent. It was a testament to the restraint that was instilled within them. "Many, including the elders, have been speculating as to _why_ the Noxians chose to invade us. Personally, I feel as though such questions are irrelevant."

Though the opening stayed silent, it took little effort to see the confusion on the faces of those closest to him. "Does the why really matter? When the mist clear, the why won't change the fact that they've already butchered _entire towns_. The only question that need be asked is, what are we going to do to stop it?"

The thump of his boots reverbed through the aged wood of the stage as he paced around it. Collecting his thoughts, he didn't need to look to see he still had their rapt attention. "Indeed, what are we going to do? I will not soften my words to hide the reality of our situation. The Noxian military is superior to our forces in almost every conceivable way."

A loose gale of wind passed through the clearing. Like the leaves that fell in the breeze, so to, could he feel their spirits falter. "Still… we continue to hold our own against them. Look to your brethren that hold the line south of us. For weeks now, they've held off numerous attempts to break pass the Navori region! Which leads me to only one conclusion…"

It was now, were he stoked the fires that he knew welled within them. "The Noxians are little more than rabid dogs! They waste the lives of their people, and yet they continue to lash out! Indeed, they have unknowingly gifted us with victory. We cannot stand against their might on the open fields of battle…" The captain stopped his pacing on the edge of the stage. Looking beyond his audience, he directed their attention to the environment around them.

"However, we do not need to face them blade for blade! We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be! We shall surprise them from the trees, we shall ambush them from the mountains, we shall fight in the shadows of the forest and in the confines of the roads!We shall never surrender!

It was predictable, the clamor that came from the crowd. That still didn't stop a smirk from adorning Touzi's face however. Using their excitement as momentum, he continued his speech.

"Within the next couple of days, many of you will be sent to bolster the defenses of our home. Already the Noxians find themselves at an impasse, you will make sure they stay there! Then, when their spirits are all but crushed. We shall rout them from our home, FOR IONIA!"

"**FOR IONIA!"**

From a perch that was atop an aging tree, Naruto watched the processions. He had been there, listening in on what the Captain of the Ionian Guard had to say. Apparently the gathering was only for those who served in the guard. Or at least that was what Irelia had told him.

"_I have to admit, that even got my blood pumping bit!"_

"_**Why? With our power, you could turn this little invasion into nothing more than a page in this world's history books. I cannot understand why you stay your hand. The more you hold back, the more people die…" **_

Kokuō had a point, still that didn't stop him from becoming irritated.

"_Dammit… I know Kokuō! But staying off the radar is my primary concern right now."_

"_**Even if it means others must suffer for your deceit? I do not mean to offend, I merely wish to understand your position."**_

Rubbing his temples in frustration, Naruto was relieved when he heard Kurama answer instead.

"_**There isn't much to understand… you remember what we overheard. That 'Institute of War' is constantly on the lookout for those who use overly destructive 'magic'. The fact that we wield abilities that they've likely never come in contact with makes us a prime target. Regardless, this isn't Konohagakure… we owe them nothing."**_

The sage turned monk didn't know how he felt about his tenant's last remark. Didn't he at least owe the Ionians for giving him a new home? What about Soraka, Irelia, or even Karma. He didn't think he could treat them with such a callous attitude. As the voices rambled on his mind, he was slightly surprised to hear that Matatabi was in agreement with Kokuō.

"_**I disagree, Kurama." **_

"_**Would you imagine that…"**_

Ignoring the rude reply, she continued _**"Whether we own them or not should not be the question. What we can do to help should be. Even though the leaders of this place know somewhat of Naruto's origins, they still accepted him! They…"**_

"_**No!" **_

The Nibi wasn't expecting him to interject so fiercely. _**"Naruto told them nothing about us, or how we got here! Pity is likely the reason why they allowed him here. Coupled with his small display of power and an oath of allegiance, they would be fools to turn him away. Just as easily as they accepted him, could they have reported him to those 'summoners'.I think you've forgotten what humans are capable of!"**_

He couldn't see the face of the massive flaming cat, but he could hear her disappointment.

"_**Why do you continue to hold such distrust towards humans Kurama?"**_

"_**Because… trust is one of the sharpest weapons someone can wield. Before Naruto, I had spent millennia watching how easily humans could betray one another. Indra and Asura, Hashirama and Madara, Obito and Konoha… even Naruto and Sasuke. People will always turn when it benefits them most! Come Matatabi, surely you've seen exactly what I speak of!"**_

"_**Even if I have, your current relationship with Naruto easily refutes your point! Just as how we hated how we were viewed as mindless beasts. We shouldn't paint the humans of this world with the same brush as the shinobi of our own!"**_

Even with his eyes closed, Naruto could hear the multitude of footsteps that passed beneath him. Kurama and Matatabi had both made excellent points. Power changed people, usually for the worse. Could he take the chance that those who witnessed his true power would adore him, or curse his existence?

He was surprised that neither Shukaku nor Gyuki had chimed in yet.

"_**Would you two shut up!?"**_

Never mind…

"_**Look kid, at the end of the day… you gotta look out for number one! Yeah it may suck that those people die, but so what! They would've died even if you weren't here! No need to paint a huge target on your back just so some assholes can come lock you up or whatever. Remember, it aint just you we're talkin about here."**_

"_**I find that I have to agree with Kurama… and Shukaku."**_

It sounded as if though the Hachibi _**really **_had trouble with the last part.

"_**Naruto, your primary concerns right now should be to survive and adapt. Participating in this war will send ripples through the world. A world in which you've barely seen. I know it sounds harsh, especially to someone like you, but Kurama is correct. We simply cannot risk what the populace will think once they've seen the powers at your command."**_

"_I know you guys are right… but I can't just let Irelia and the others die like that! I can't just sit here and do nothing!"_

"_**Then what will you do then, Naruto?"**_

"_I…"_

Before he could respond, he felt the signature of the one he had been waiting for. It was significantly more difficult then sensing chakra. However, he was gradually getting used to searching through different energy sources. Without hesitation, he dropped onto a building a few meters below him. With barely a sound, he landed in an alley near his target. Walking out as if he'd been waiting there, he called out to her.

"Yo! Irelia, wait up will ya?"

Moving past the dense crowd, he fell in step with his friend.

"You weren't waiting there the whole time were you? I told you I'd be gone for at least a couple of hours." The worried look on her face caused Naruto to adopt a sheepish grin. In truth, he'd been listening to the same speech she had. He didn't think she'd be upset if she knew this fact, but decided to ere on the side of caution.

"What? Not at all, I just wondered around a little. Maybe had a bowl of ramen or two…"

Rolling her eyes, a small smile graced her lips. She hoped that when she was sent to Navori that he wouldn't be too lonely. The blond had made suggestions that he join her, but those had been quickly turned down. He may have trained with the monks and picked up some tricks from the ninja, but his mental health was still of concern to her. Also, she just couldn't see dense, goofy Naruto as a serious warrior.

"_I say that… but I've never had to put my life on the line either. The only thing I have to fall back on is my own training. At the very least, Naruto knows what that is like. Hopefully the Captain is right and this conflict doesn't last long."_

"So, what's gonna happen anyways? Must be pretty important if that captain guy called you all to one spot." In his peripheral, he could see Irelia adopt a contemplative look. Likely thinking about how to word her response.

"First of all, that 'captain' guy is the head of the entire guard forces!" The nonchalant shrug she received did nothing to assuage her annoyance. Rubbing her forehead, she continued with her original response. "Anyways… within a few days' time, the majority of us will be sent to garrison the Navori region. The captain feels that if we can hold the Noxians there, we have a greater chance of victory."

"And how do you feel, Irelia?"

The sudden seriousness in his tone caught her off-guard. Shifting her gaze, she met his sharp blue eyes.

"What do you mean? How do I feel… it's my duty to defend Ionia!"

Judging by the way his brows fell, he wasn't fazed by her false bravado. It was seldom when she saw this side of Naruto. Usually his mood was as lively as the annoyingly bright orange that covered his back. But on rare occasions, he would get that look in his eye.

With an exasperated sigh, Naruto cut their eye contact and shook his head. As the two continued to traverse through the slow crowds, he kept silent. Thinking that he wasn't going to speak again, Irelia focused on getting back home. Whatever he was going to say, he would say it whenever he was ready.

Even with the entirety of the local guard wondering the city, it didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Opening the door, Naruto heard a mumbled thanks as his companion stepped through. Entering the house himself, he watched Irelia make her way to her room. Shutting the door, he decided to wait for her at the table.

"_**So… Have you made your choice?" **_The deep rumble of Kurama's voice reverbed through his head.

"_I have…" _The tone of finality in his containers response left no doubt to what his choice was.

"_**I see… you do realize this won't be like the war back in the elemental countries?"**_

"_What do you mean Kurama?" _

"_**Fool… as usual you jump into something without thinking of the consequences!" **_With a deep sigh he continued. _**"Back then, the enemies were primarily the Zetsu army and the ninja re-animated by the Edo Tensei. When you think about it, the only person who was really 'alive' was Kaguya. Do you get what I'm saying, Naruto?"**_

Instead of immediately responding to the Kitsune's question, he rested his forehead on the table. Staring at the polished wood, his gaze hardened. He wasn't as big a fool as he was made out to be. Of course he knew what the fox was saying.

"_This time, it will be real people. A lot of them…"_

Before the solemn conversation could continue, a shuffling sound greeted his ears. Adjusting so that he was now resting on his chin, he saw it was Irelia coming back. She had changed her clothes, but the expression she had worn on the way here hadn't. Taking the seat opposite of him, she gave him an expectant look.

"So, what was that back there?"

"Back where?"

Gritting her teeth before a growl could escape, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat slightly. It was obvious he had wanted to say something on the trip home. His mouth may not have said it, but the disapproving look he gave her spoke loud enough.

"Naruto, don't play coy with me! What was with that question, 'how do you feel'? Where did that come from?"

"Oh… that?" The way he made it sound so insignificant made her seethe a little. She had been anxious since that question was asked. It seemed as though he had forgotten ever asking it.

"It was exactly as it sounded. I don't want to hear what your boss thinks about the situation. I want to know what _you _think about it."

"And my answer remains the same, I…"

"No!" Shaking his head in what some would call a childish manner, Naruto shook his hands in front of her face. "Don't feed me some bullshit lines Irelia! _Of course _it's your 'duty' to defend your home! Just like it was to defend mine! I want to know how you feel going _to war_." Biting her lip at his coarse language, she stared down at the table to gather her thoughts.

"Oh… well I guess I feel frightened? I-I don't know what you want me to say. I guess I'm afraid…"

"Of death?"

"Well that… and failing everyone. My father, my brother, the people of Ionia, our homes future relies on the impact we have in Navori. But still…"

"What is it?"

"I've never killed anyone before. Even with my knowledge of Hiten style, I'd never really thought I'd have to _use _it." An uneasy chuckle came from her lips. "If you look at our history, it's been _centuries _since we've had any type of conflict, much less a war! And that was more the samurai clans than anything." Framing her pale face with her hands, she gave Naruto a hesitative look.

"Naruto… have you ever killed anyone before? I know you told me your original home was destroyed, so I'm assuming that you had to at least defend yourself."

Giving her a weak smile, he lifted his head off the table. "Irelia, even if I told you yes, it wouldn't change anything." The confused tilting of her head didn't surprise him. "Look Irelia, It doesn't matter if I've killed one guy or a ton. We both know that I'm not the smartest, but even to me this is pretty simple."

"How so?"

"Well, all you have to do is kill the other guys before they kill you, right? I think it's better to remember the reason you're fighting for. You're protecting Ionia, aren't you? It doesn't matter _who _the other guy is, only that he wants to harm your precious people. If you keep that in mind, I'm sure you'll be fine."

A part of him felt relieved when he saw Irelia return his smile. He didn't really have any advice for her. Oddly enough, his own hands weren't that bloodied for a trained assassin. Perhaps what he told her was more to ease his nerves than her own.

"Thank you, Naruto… you remind of something my father used to say." Pausing for a moment, Irelia thought back to the many times Lito imparted some kind of advice to her. "The most dangerous opponent is not the one who stands before you. But the one that resides within."

"Sounds like something an old man like him would say…" Although he didn't really talk to man much, Naruto was hard-pressed not to compare him to the Sandaime. They both had the ability to sense when those around them were distressed. Then they usually had some wise, old man advice to give.

"Anyways…" Jumping to his feet, the blond pointed his finger straight at her face. "Enough mopin' around! You leave in a couple of days, so we shouldn't waste any time. Let's go get some ramen!" When times were looking bleak, a nice large bowl of Miso (or whatever the chef served him) always brought him back from the brink of brooding.

"But didn't you just have some while I was gone?" She knew he had a thing for the noodle dish, but it was seeming to be something of an obsession for him. Perhaps it reminded him of his old home? After all, no one called it 'ramen' here.

Freezing as he heard her remark, Naruto's head fell. Across the table, a curious look appeared on Irelia's face. Watching as the hand that was just pointed at her ball up into a fist, she wondered if she had offended him somehow. It was hard to tell with his hair shading his features.

"Irelia…"

Before she could respond, he was directly in front of her. Where the burst of speed had come from, she hadn't seen. Had his hands not been framing her face, she would have fell back from the suddenness of the action. As it was, she could only shiver under the intense glare that bared down upon her.

"Whether it be one bowl, or a hundred. There will _**NEVER **_come a time where I deny the greatness of ramen! Why would deny yourself a bowl of perfection? The plethora of flavors that greet you _every time_ you drink the broth. The aroma's that tease your nose as you take in the combination of steamed vegetables and seared meat. And the noodle's…"

"Are... Are you crying?"

"YES GODDAMNIT! YES I AM! To try and capture the _sheer magnificence_ that is ramen is a challenge in itself!" Bringing their foreheads together, she felt herself grow a little flustered by the close contact. It didn't help that he was still unknowingly caressing her cheeks. He seemed to be in his own little world now.

"Miso, pork, beef, shrimp, chicken, salt, veggie! No matter your taste for that meal, there will always be a bowl to sate your hunger! Worry not Irelia! With us being the bestest of friends, it is my sworn duty to teach you the glory that is ramen!" Before she could detach herself from her manic companion, the door opened.

"Hey Irelia! You want to go… hang… out?" Through the door came Yiwen, one of the few others she could call friend. Staring at the sight before her, Yiwen felt a pang of guilt surge through her. It was obvious what was going on here. The man with Irelia was holding her with tears streaming down his face. The woman herself looked almost as red as the Snapdragon's that grew in the Placidium gardens. It was a beautiful thing when someone confessed their love, and she had ruined that.

"O-oh my… I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know! Please forgive me Irelia! I didn't know that you would be here with your boyfriend again! You two were in the middle of such a magical moment and I ruined that! I'm sorry Mr.… what's your name?"

"Uh…Naruto?"

"Naruto! My deepest apologies for ruining your confession! Please forget that I was ever here!"

Watching as their guest slammed the door shut, the duo turned back towards one another. Finally realizing just how close they were, Naruto put some space between them. Clearing his throat, he took his seat back on the other side of the table. Looking towards the door, he stared at it momentarily before looking back his still silent friend.

"So who was that anyways? She looked kinda familiar." It was unlikely he would know her by name. When he wasn't with Irelia, he usually spent his time sparring with Lee or some of the other monks at Shojin.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Irelia stared at her friend for a moment. Releasing a sigh, she re-situated her position at the table. "Her name is Yiwen, she's a part of the guard. It may not look it, but she can be pretty lethal with a bow." Rubbing her temple in frustration, she continued. "She's also the biggest gossiper this side of the Placidium! By now she's told half the city about my 'blond boyfriend'…"

Naruto felt a smile tug at his lips. The way she described Yiwen made him draw many similarities to Ino. Thinking about Ino made him think of Shikamaru and Chouji. Which in turn made him think about the rest of his friends. He wasn't smiling anymore. Gritting his teeth, he decided it best to re-engage with Irelia before he got swept up in his dark nostalgia.

"Heh… blond boyfriend, huh? We've barely known each other for like what, 5-6 months? And I was gone half the time!" In his mind, it was almost a joke to think that anyone could reach that conclusion. Whatever Yiwen thought she saw, didn't exist.

"What you say is true Naruto." Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "However, if you recall, a large amount of people saw us fight, remember? After you apologized, we sparred at least 5 times a week. And we always went out to eat together after every fight." Everything she said was un-distbutable, but it still didn't make them a couple.

"Plus, your unique looks make you stick out. They make it relatively simple for people to notice you in a crowd. And when they notice you, they notice me."

"Y-You make it seem like we're together all the time! Don't tell me you're buying into this?!"

"Tell me Naruto, when you're not at the monastery, where are you?"

"Here…"

"Exactly! Do you see how easy it would be for people to believe we're a couple?"

"I-I guess, but geez! I was never really popular with the women back home, let alone had a girlfriend! I'd say 'confessing my love' would be a pretty large jump for me, Dattebayo!" Now everyone probably thought that they were getting married or something! Perhaps he should expand his group of friends. Besides Irelia and the Lee, he didn't really know anyone else in the city.

"_But who? Doesn't Lee have a sister? Maybe if I hang out with her it'll stop the rumors! Hah, Easy!" _

"_**Or it could back-fire and make everyone think your screwing around behind Irelia's back…" **_Kurama's suggestion sounded innocent enough, but he knew the bastard was enjoying this.

"_**And with your friend's sister! I must say kitten, I think I've misread you." **_Great, now the others were jumping in.

"_**If you're smart, you could even have yourself a threesome! But you're a dumbass… so… oh well."**_

"_Listen here you sandy mother…!" _A voice interrupted his impending mental barrage.

"Really Naruto? You've never been in any type of relationship?" Looking at her face, he could see that she was astounded by the notion. Was it really that hard to believe?

"Uhh… yeah? Why do you seem so surprised?"

"Well, I thought because of… never mind." At the very least, his exotic looks must've attracted some positive attention. Blond hair was exceedingly rare in Ionia. It usually was only found in the children of someone whose companion came from the mainland. Add on the natural whisker marks and his wild hair, and you had something that attracted more than a few looks. _She _had noticed some jealous looks sent her way when they walked around the city.

"_I'm sure that he's just ignoring the looks because he's still new here… right? Nobody can be that oblivious…" _Returning her gaze back towards him, she noticed he seemed to be concentrating on something.

"Actually, now that I think about it… there was this girl that told me that she loved me." Irelia tilted her head as she processed what he had said. From his tone, something terrible must have happened to her. She likely died in the war that had consumed his home. Still, she couldn't help but ask regardless.

"What happened?" Seeing his raised eyebrow, she explained. "To the girl, I mean? Surely you guys talked about her feelings?" Going from the sharp look that crossed his features, she'd say things hadn't gone well.

Naruto shut his eyes as he thought about Hinata. He still remembered her daring confession. How she stood before a man that leveled an entire village with just _one _jutsu. Just so she could protect him.

"…_that is why I'm not afraid to die protecting you! Because… __**I Love You**__…_"

He could feel his palm mending as his nails dug deep into the flesh. The more he thought about it, the more he could feel it. The hate that was beginning to fester within him. Had he really been that dense? How long had she felt like that?

As Irelia waited for an answer, she began to feel a tingle down her spine. It was a strange sensation, like a cold hand that traced itself on her skin. She didn't know what it was, but she felt a creeping sense of dread. It was like when she fought with her father, except if he didn't hold back. She didn't know when it happened, but see found herself staring into Naruto's eyes.

And then he leapt.

It was almost surreal. She could feel his hand wrapped around her neck. Slowly choking the life from her frozen body. Yet, there was no pain. How could she feel pain when she was already drowning in the sheer loathing that she saw within those harsh orbs? She wanted to plead with him. To know where this sudden betrayal had come from. But the longer she stared the deeper she could feel herself sink into that cold, dark pit.

"You know what, Irelia…"

"_W-What?!" _

Looking around, she found Naruto still sitting in the same spot. She hadn't moved either. Feeling wetness on her cheeks, she wiped her finger across her eye. Had she been crying? Hadn't Naruto just tried to strangle her? Did her question make him that angry?

"_What's going on? H-He… Naruto just…"_

Unaware of her situation, Naruto continued. "Not a goddamned thing! That woman… Hinata… she nearly died for me!" The hate that flowed through him was enough to make his body quake. "And I never even thanked her…" Suddenly, he felt his limbs go limp as he felt the anger drain from him. "Not even a thank you… how could she love me?"

Irelia felt the smothering fear gradually leave her as she saw Naruto's anger leave him. She was still wary of him. It wasn't like she didn't just experience him trying to murder her.

"All that time…" The intensity of his tone died down to barely just above a whisper. "All those years… why did she waste them on someone like me?" Irelia could almost see the depression in the breath he let out. "Even after that, I never talked to her. Didn't even ask her about her feelings… I just let her die… like everyone else."

Watching him sulk in his spot, it didn't seem he was even aware of her presence. Still, Irelia felt that any sudden movement would end in her demise. Perhaps words would be her savior.

"Naruto?" Her eyes tracking every move he made. Blinking at the call of his name, he turned his head towards her.

"_What's wrong with her?"_

"_**You just blasted her with a potent dose of killing intent. You remember when you met Orochimaru for the first time? I pretty sure that's how she feels." **_

Flinching at the thought, he slowly started his way towards her. He could see her growing apprehension. Irelia unconsciously pushed away as he made his way around the table. Naruto watched her tremble in fear as he reached for her shoulder. As he made contact with her, he could feel how clammy her skin was.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto! I shouldn't have asked and…" she froze as he pulled her into his arms.

"No, I'm the one who she be sorry. I guess I kinda lost it there huh?" Slowly pulling away, he gave her a forced smile. It seemed to settle her a little, as she didn't seem as stiff as before. Pushing himself to his feet, Naruto made his way towards the door. "I'll make sure to see you before you're sent off…"

"Wait!"

The only response she got was the door closing.

"_Just what was that? It couldn't have been my imagination. Where exactly are you from, Naruto?"_

* * *

"Perhaps we should migrate northward?"

"Yes, that does seem like a wise move. Maybe to the Capital, or maybe even the Placidium?"

"Do you think the elders will allow that?"

The group of monks talked amongst themselves, deciding if they should evacuate. Among them sat Karma, one of the many who increasingly thought it was best to seek safer land. It had been almost two month's already, and Noxus didn't seem like they were stopping their advance any time soon. Raising her hand to draw attention, she addressed her companions.

"Instead of pondering here, we should bring this to the attention of the elders. The sooner we can convince them, the sooner we can leave."

Those in attendance had skeptical looks on their faces however. It wasn't any secret that the elder monks were staunch believers in tradition. Their sect had been at this location for generations. It was unlikely they would just pack up and leave.

"Although I do not wish to question the wisdom of the elders. Do you think it will be so easy? We've all heard them speak on this matter. They believe that the Noxians will leave us be. I'm sure we've all heard tales that refute that claim."

Indeed, even before the invasion, Karma had heard of the conflicting nations tactics. They operated under the notion that victory was all that mattered, no matter the cost. Noxus would crush anything that opposed it. The only thing they seemed to respect was brute strength.

"_With such an ideology, it's no wonder that they can commit such atrocities! But how to make the elders understand this?" _The lady monk knew time was a limited resource. Currently the Ionian Guard maintained a strong defense at the mountain borders. However, they couldn't hold forever. Their numbers were limited to whoever had the courage to take up arms. Noxus had an entire _empire _to fuel its conquest.

"Why don't we just get everyone and leave? Those that want to stay will be left to their own fate!"

Biting her lip, Karma ignored the stunned looks and gasps of shock that were sent at the speaker. She couldn't blame them for their surprise, nor him for his suggestion. They were starting to get desperate, and it was up to her to find a solution. She was used to mediating petty arguments about who led the morning meditation ritual. Deciding what would become of them was something she was not prepared for.

Releasing a sigh, she stood from her seat. All conversation halted as they saw her rise. Eyes now on her, Karma addressed the group before her. "No matter what any of us say, it is the elders who will decide our next course of action. Nothing we say here will have any impact unless it reaches their ears! Let us adjourn for now and collect our thoughts. We will reconvene tomorrow." Without another word, the others in attendance stood from their own seats. Giving a small bow, they left the woman to her own thoughts.

Now alone, Karma slowly made her way to one of the windows. Gazing at the setting sun in the distance, she felt her eyebrows tighten in frustration. Tradition, it was the foundation that dictated most Ionian's actions. It told them how to celebrate during their many festivals. It also guided them during times of hardship, such as this. However, such strict adherence to tradition could also lead to disaster.

"_But how to convince the elders of this?"_

* * *

"That concludes the battlefield update, Sir."

"Does it really? Is there anybody that can explain to me how we've made so little progress after all this time? I believe before this campaign started, a number of you boasted that the Ionian's would crumble beneath us. Yet… here we are, almost two month's into this little endeavor, and you haven't much to show for it."

Boram Darkwill thought himself a patient man. One did not hold the seat of Grand General for decades without such a quality. Looking around the table, his stoic features took in the faces that made up the Noxian High-Command. Interlacing his fingers, his dark eyes bored into each of the members, searching for an answer. Though they couldn't see his visage from underneath his shadowy hood, they knew when Darkwills' eyes were upon them.

"Grand General if I may?"

"By all means Admiral… enlighten me on our situation."

Standing from his seat, the Admiral adopted a proud look on his scarred face. "Our Navy has most of the coastal territory in the south under control. We surround the outer two islands, with plans to strike them soon. With the Bilgewater privateers in our pockets, naval losses have been minimal." Looking towards the Grand General for approval, the Admiral had to hide his grimace at the blank look on his face.

"You tell me things I already know Admiral. What I want to know is, why am I not sitting in the Ionian capitol right now? Was it not you who stated that those same two islands would fall within a week?" Looking around his council, he singled out another of his General Officers.

"General Gorhan, did you not promise that the ground forces would march across the main island unimpeded by any type of resistance?" The man is question silently grit his teeth as his failure was brought before the others.

"General Du Couteau, if your agents so successfully infiltrated the Ionian's, why have the intelligence reports been of so little use?" The Spymaster kept his features indifferent. He knew the game Darkwill was playing. To react was to admit failure. Marcus Du Couteau did not fail.

Standing from his own chair, Boram made his way towards one of the openings that acted as a window for the spire. With barely a glance downwards, he could see the expanse of the entire Noxian capitol. Behind him, the top officers of the military sat silently. Awaiting either new guidance or more scolding. Really, they acted more like children than anything else.

Cursing their incompetence under his breath, he made his way back towards the table. Retaking his seat, he brought his hands back together. Those that surrounded him still remained silent, waiting for their leader to make his move.

"One thing I think you all forget is that every one of you at this table is _expendable_. I find it… curious that you're having so much trouble with an island full of pacifists. Perhaps this is also why we've made so few gains against Demacia in the recent years?" Whether the question was rhetorical or not, it remained un-answered regardless. Shaking his head, Boram kept silent as he thought about the next move his empire would take.

"_Although, who said we have to move alone? We've already began a mutually beneficial relationship with Bilgewater. There is little reason not to start one with Zaun…"_

* * *

"_I can see why Shika thought this was so relaxing…" _

Atop one of the many lofty trees that grew in the Placidium, Naruto rested on one of its boughs. He had never really cared for cloud gazing. He always had to be doing _something. _Whether that be a mission, training, or eating ramen. Naruto had always thought time spent doing nothing was time wasted. But that was back in Konoha. Needless to say, his situation had changed a bit.

Below him, a number of the guard were saying their goodbyes to their loved ones. As Irelia had told him, they were moving out today. He wanted to see his friend off, but didn't know what to say to her. After his little episode a couple of day ago, he had been actively avoiding her.

"_I should really go and see her. It'd be a real dick move if I just left things this way."_

Sighing in exasperation, the monk picked up the item he had resting on his chest. It was something he'd picked up while traveling across the island. Within his hand, there was a porcelain mask in the likeness of a fox. The six red lines that covered its cheeks painted a stark contrast to the rest of its white surface. In many ways, it reminded him of the ANBU from back home.

"_In more ways than one…"_

"Naruto!"

Raising an eyebrow, the blond peered over his shoulder. Looking down, he saw the woman who had just been in his thoughts. Decked in the official armor of the Ionian Guard, Irelia waved at him from below. Standing with her were two other women who bore the same attire. Holding back a cringe at the site of Yiwen, he stowed the mask away in his robe.

Below, the trio waited for him to come down.

"Wow Irelia! Is that the guy Yiwen was talking about?" Adopting an appreciative look, the girl gave Irelia a thumbs up. "Good work! Who would've thought that THE Irelia could pick up such a hotty!"

Looking slightly offended, the woman gave her friend a small glare. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well… considering that most of the guys we know are intimidated by you, I'm just surprised is all."

"Well Kandan, I don't think Irie here will be scaring this guy away anytime soon! He's the monk that beat her in that fight a couple of months ago!"

Irelia could only shake her head as her friends gushed about her apparent relationship. Looking back up, she saw Naruto shifting in his spot. Was he thinking about running away?_ "I know you've been avoiding me!" _Without warning, he slipped from the tree head first. Hearing a few gasp of shock, she wondered what was going through his head.

"_Fool, that is at least a 30 foot fall!"_

It seemed their worry was for naught however, as the blond righted himself mid-fall. Landing in front of her, he gave a lazy wave as he greeted the trio.

"Yo"

"H-He… You just fell l-like a hundred feet!"

Looking up at the spot he'd been occupying, Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "Ehh? I'm not that good at measuring or anything. But I don't think it was that far…"

"You didn't tell us your boyfriend was a ninja Irelia!"

"I thought he was a traveling monk or something?"

"B-Boyfriend?!" Feeling his cheeks heat up, Naruto gave his friend a timid look. Averting eye contact with her, he poked his fingers together in a shy manner. "I didn't know you felt that way… ttebayo."

Hiding her embarrassment, Irelia turned on her 'friends' and gave them a sharp look.

"Leave…"

With a cheeky grin, Yiwen gave her a crisp salute. "Yes Ma'am!" Giving each other knowing looks, Yiwen and Kandan started walking away.

"She's just being possessive."

"Yep!"

Glaring holes in their back as they departed, Irelia bit her lip in an attempt to mask her irritation. She wasn't looking forward to crushing whatever hopes they had given Naruto. Especially after what happened last time they were together. She hadn't seen him since then, but she had spent most of her free time searching for him. She had wanted to talk about that strange sensation she had felt, but couldn't find him anywhere.

"_For a guy that likes to stick out, you sure know how to hide when you want to…"_

As she turned to face him, she was surprised to see the small smile on his face. "So those are your friends huh?" Looking back in the direction they'd walked, Irelia gave a reluctant nod. Sticking his fist out, he gave her a thumbs up. "Heh… I like them!"

Standing in silence after his remark, Naruto took in the armor of Ionia's militia. In some ways, it was similar to the armor the samurai from Tetsu no Kuni wore. The only differences that stuck out to him were the colors used. The primary color of the metal seemed to of a scarlet hue, with a polished grey to outline it. The clothing she wore underneath was also grey. Then there was her choice of weapon.

"_The armor looks pretty light, but how can she carry that huge ass blade around like that?! You'd think it would either slow her down or hurt her back after a while…"_

Dismissing his thoughts about Irelia's choice of weaponry, he steeled himself. He originally wanted to avoid this talk, but knew it was necessary. If anything, he was putting off the inevitable. It was almost like the Sandaime had told him. The only things certain in life were death and paperwork. Everything else happened by chance.

"Hey, Irelia…"

Without turning, Irelia responded to Naruto. Her gaze locked on the path her friends took.

"I just want to let you know…" Taking a deep breath, he tentatively put his hand on her shoulder. Feeling the appendage land on her, her eyes snapped to his. "The other day… I wasn't mad at you or anything. And… I'm sorry you had to see me like that. Your question made me realize how shitty of a guy I was… and still am." Seeing her frown, he immediately started to wave his hands in a defensive gesture.

"B-But I don't blame you at for asking the question! Actually, I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"Yes. I've been avoiding my past for quite a while now. Maybe…" Shaking his head at his line of thought, he continued. "Look, I don't want us to part on bad terms like that. Right now, I consider you my best friend on this entire island! I just don't wanna ruin that because of my temper."

"You don't need to apologize, Naruto. I was never angry with you or anything, I shouldn't have asked such a personal question. Knowing what happened to your old home… I guess I let my curiosity get the better of me."

"So we're good?"

Giving him a soft giggle, Irelia nodded. "Yes, we're 'good'."

"_Now isn't the time or place to discuss what really happened. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like I'll be getting that chance any time soon."_

Seeing his unnaturally large smile, she had to wonder if it was normal to have such sharp canines. Before she could analyze his teeth anymore, she was mildly surprised by the fist that he put in front of her.

"What is this?"

"A fist bump." Seeing the confused look in her green eyes, he explained. "An old friend of mine once said, 'When you want to transfer what you're feeling, this is the best way to do it!'… or something like that."

Shaking her head at his antics, Irelia brought his fist down with her hand. Before he could protest, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Take care of yourself, Naruto. I won't be here… so please, go find some people around town to make friends with." Noticing him about to open his mouth, she beat him to it. "And I'm not talking about the monks at the monastery!"

Pulling away from him, she laid her hands on his shoulders. A small smile graced her lips as she looked at him. "We will ensure things return to the way they were. Until then, don't go causing any trouble." Giggling a bit as he rolled his eyes, she dropped her hands back to her sides.

"So… this is it then?"

"Yep…" It was obvious to see he was forcing the grin he was giving her.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'll be back in a couple of months. I'm sure the Institute of War will put an end to this soon." With a poke to his chest, she gave him a playful look. "Or perhaps those two are right and you'll miss me for other reasons?" Seeing her banter wasn't changing his mood, Irelia sighed and gave him a sad smile.

"Really, I'll be fine. We both know that I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." Watching him hesitantly nod, she turned and prepared to leave. "Watch, Naruto… things will turn out for the better."

Watching her walk away, a blank look fell across his face. Once she disappeared into the distance, he too, departed from the area. As he walked through the streets, he pulled the fox mask back out. Looking around, he stopped and leaned against the walls of the Shojin monastery. Silently, he traced his finger down the red 'whiskers' of the fox.

"_Something wasn't right there. I thought she was going to grill me about what happened. Maybe she didn't think it was such a big deal after all." _

"Does something trouble you, Naruto?"

Pausing in his ministrations, the blond looked up to see Lee. As usual, he was clad in the plain robes that all the monks wore. Plastering a cheesy grin on his face, Naruto waved nonchalantly.

"Naw, I'm good Lee…"

"That woman, Irelia. She left with the others, didn't she?"

"Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"We have been sparring partners for some time. If I could not read you by now, then I'd have no business calling myself your friend."

Chuckling at his response, Naruto gave Lee an appreciative look. "I guess not…"

"Shall I leave you to your thoughts then?"

"Sheesh… you make it sound like I'm brooding or something! C'mon, it's been a couple of days since I've kicked your ass!"

A slightly amused look struck across the monk's face as he turned to the entrance of the monastery. Watching as Lee walked away, Naruto dropped the grin he wore. Looking back at his mask, he drew his gaze into the horizontal slits that acted as the eyes. The hollow darkness of the mask stared back into his own uncertain blue orbs.

"_I hope your right Irelia… for both our sakes…"_

* * *

"To Demacia!"

A resounding yell of the nation's name echoed throughout the pub as a circle of knights clashed their mugs together. Ignoring the mess this action caused, each of them downed their brew with practiced ease. Slamming their cups down on the battered table, they released sighs of contentment.

"It's been some time since we've been able to meet like this, aint it lads?"

"Aye, that it is!"

"How long do you suppose this cease-firewill stay in place? I can hardly believe Noxus of all places agreed to it in the first place."

"Hmm…though they may be unscrupulous villains, the leadership of Noxus aren't fools. Standing against Valoran's most powerful organization would only lead to their assured destruction."

"Good riddance, I say!"

"Indeed! But I must say… it's a nasty bit of business that's going on in Ionia. Frankly, I find it quite shocking that the Institute hasn't stepped in yet."

"As do I brother… as do I. But from I've heard, they don't step in because Ionia didn't opt into the pact we made with the Institute. Therefore, the Summoners likely don't consider it their problem."

"I see… a bold assertion. Do you think his Highness will send us there to assist them?

"I cannot see why he would. I know it sounds cruel, but the Ionian's chose to stay isolationist. It is their path to walk now. Besides, once there invasion is complete, Noxus will be all the weaker for it! Should it come to it, there will be nothing stopping us from exacting the full measure of Demacian justice!"

On the other side of the bar, a lone individual grunted in annoyance at the clamor the knights made. Disregarding them in favor of his own drink, he took a discreet sip from his cup. With the navy cloak covering most of his form, it was obvious he was trying to keep a low profile.

"Excuse me sir, would you like a refill?"

"Hnn…"

Not knowing what to make of the answer, (or even if was one at all) the barmaid prepared to walk away. She paused however, as she saw the patrons mug be presented to her. Kindly smiling at the hooded man, she carefully topped-off his beverage. Turning to continue her duties, she was stopped again by the man's voice.

"Miss."

"Yes sir?"

"This… Ionia. What is it those men speak of?"

Rubbing her narrow chin, the barmaid took a moment to gather her thoughts. Her position didn't really call for too much knowledge on the happenings outside of Demacia. But with patrons as loud as those knights, it wasn't exactly difficult to pick up some things.

"Well… apparently _Noxus…" _The venom in her voice didn't go unnoticed. "Decided to attack those people on the other side of the ocean. Why they did… no one really knows I suppose." Turing away from the hooded-man, she cursed Demacia's eternal rival beneath her breath. "As if those miscreants need a reason to spread misery."

Ignoring the woman's last remark, the hooded figure contemplated her words. From what he'd gathered over the last month, Noxus seemed to be a bastion of evil. He wasn't so gullible to believe what he heard here of course. However, now that this unwarranted invasion was factored in, it seemed he chose wisely where to hide-out.

It would take time for him to build a new life here. Where ever 'here' was anyways. It'd been at least a month since he'd came here, to this 'Runeterra'. And even less time since traveling to Demacia. So far, information was the most valuable commodity to him. Food could be stolen, and finding a place to rest was hardly a challenge. No, what he needed was to find out as much as he could about this world as soon as possible. In that regard, today had been pretty fruitful. Finishing his beverage, he took one last look around the pub before silently making his way towards the exit.

Soon after, the barmaid came back to where he'd sat. Seeing an empty mug, she scanned for its owner. Hadn't she just been here? Perhaps the barkeep saw where the owner had gone.

"Hey, Stan."

"What is it woman? You need more refills?"

"What? No! You wouldn't happen to have seen if anyone was here or not?"

"Can't say I have. Which is why I want to know WHY there is an empty mug just layin about?! What exactly do I pay you for, again? Lazy broad…"

Rolling her eyes at his complaining, she continued to stare at the cup. Looking across the room, she glanced at the entrance. With a shrug she picked up the lone cup, returning it to the kitchen. Perhaps she had been on her feet for too long.


End file.
